Clandestine Bluebird
by SelfControl
Summary: Casey's secret life is becoming too much to handle, especially when the safety of her family's lives are at risk. Will Derek find out her secret...? Will she be able to save her family and possibly the world...? Read and find out.
1. Chapter 1

**So here is my new story that I promised. I hope you enjoy it. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 1<strong>

Haldega Technology Agency

Los Angeles

9:15 PM

The hallway was dark and narrow as she slowly edged her way along the side wall, gun extended and finger on the trigger in case of a surprise attack. There was a door at the end of the hall that led to the room she was supposed to enter in about thirty seconds or else the alarm would go off, revealing her whereabouts to the building's inhabitants.

"Hey, Bluebird, I've detected a guard headed your way. You better get in that room fast or you'll be compromised." The voice of her partner spoke into her earpiece.

"Roger that, Honey Pot. I'm at the door now." She responded as she lowered her gun and tried the knob. It was locked, which was expected.

"You've got ten seconds."

"That's all I need."

She pulled out a small tube, which to the ordinary eye would look like lipstick and applied it to the base of the knob. There was a click and the door opened.

"I'm in." She replied as she walked inside the room and quietly closed the door behind her.

"With three seconds to spare." Her partner breathed out a sigh. "Do you see the disk?"

The room was lit by a dozen machines blinking in different colors. A metal desk sat in the corner with papers and folders piled on top. She approached the desk and found what she was looking for.

"Affirmative."

"Good. Grab it and head out."

She smiled as she picked up the tiny disk from on top of the desk and placed it in her pocket.

"Where is the guard?"

"In the other hall. You have another thirty seconds to leave the room and vacate the hallway before the alarm sounds. Think you can do it?"

"Piece of cake."

She opened the door and exited the room, gripping her gun as she hurried down the hall.

"The guard has turned around. He's headed your way again!" Her partner raised his voice. "You have to get out now!"

"I'm going as fast as I can."

She rounded the corner just in time to see a large man dressed in a black suit walking her way, gun pointed in her direction.

"Stop!" The man shouted.

She raised her gun before he could pull the trigger and shot him in the neck with a tranquilizer dart. The guard grabbed his neck with a cry of pain and dropped to the ground unconscious.

"One down." She grinned. "See any more?"

"Two more around the next corner."

"Bring it on."

She started running down the hall now and was soon met by two more men who were caught off guard by her arrival. She shot one in the thigh and ducked just in time to feel a bullet from the other guy skim past her shoulder. Before he could fire another round at her she jumped up, kicked the gun from his hands and shot him in the chest. He went down with a thud and she quickly made her escape.

"That was a close one." Her partner chuckled.

"Any others I should be aware of?" She asked as she continued to run through the halls.

"Not that I detect. You should be approaching the exit on your right."

She spotted the door ahead of her and pushed through it into the cool night air of downtown Los Angeles.

"Hey, you!" She turned to see a guard rush out of the building she'd just exited and aim his gun at her.

Suddenly there was a shot and the guy went down with a dart in his shoulder. She spun back around to see a black van pull up beside her and her partner stick his head out of the drivers side with his gun extended.

"Get in!" He shouted to her.

She didn't hesitate as she opened the passenger side door and jumped in just as he stepped on the gas and sped away.

"Nice shot." She grinned as she looked over at him.

"You're lucky I was here to take it." He grinned back as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands. "Good work, Agent McDonald. The boss will be proud."

(=)

Apartment building West side Toronto

3:02 AM

Casey let out a sigh as she unlocked the door of her apartment and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and took off her jacket, placing it on the hook to her left. Next came her shoes as she slipped her exhausted feet out of them and placed them neatly to the side.

After a three hour journey on the Private Jet from L.A. to Toronto she was exhausted. All she wanted to do now was get undressed and have a nice hot shower to relax her nerves and then snuggle up under her comforter and try to get some sleep before she had to wake up at eight for another day of work.

Casey walked into the living room and saw the red light flashing on her answering machine letting her know she had some missed calls and unheard messages. She pressed the button next to the flashing light, dialled her password and waited for the messages to start.

"Hey, Casey, it's Mom. I just wanted to remind you that it's your Cousin Victoria's engagement party next week and your attendance is a must considering you are in the wedding. Please don't let her down. We all look forward to seeing you. Love you lots and call me tomorrow if you get the chance." Beep!

Casey groaned. She'd completely forgotten that Vicky's engagement party was next week. She'd have to let her boss know immediately, even though she'd rather work than have her cousin flaunt her rich fiancée around and have everyone asking when Casey was going to settle down and find a good guy to marry.

"Hi, Miss. McDonald." The next message started. "This is Victor Gregory from the Gyatt Association calling to confirm your appointment next Friday at three. We look forward to making your acquaintance and hearing your proposal."

Casey let out a sigh. She'd also forgotten about the appointment she'd scheduled with Harvey Gyatt, the owner of Gyatt Association and the new founder of iPros 7: a new computer software designed for the future. Her younger stepbrother, Edwin, was studying business in University and in need of a job. Since Casey was a close friend with one of Gyatt's employees, she promised she would put in a good word for him.

"Hey, Spacey! Guess who?" The last message began and Casey rolled her eyes. He was the last person she wanted to hear from tonight, so instead of playing the message, she turned off the answering machine.

"Sorry, Derek, but I'm in a rather good mood right now and whatever you have to say will most likely change that." Casey spoke aloud as she began to make her way towards the bathroom in the hall.

It wasn't that she and Derek were on bad terms or anything; in fact they'd grown up a lot since high school. Attending the same University surprisingly brought them closer together over the years. Every second week, the two stepsiblings agreed to go out for dinner together, just so they would keep in contact, and eventually it became every week, bringing them closer as friends. Of course they still argued from time to time and Derek still loved to get on Casey's nerves but they couldn't deny the change in their relationship and neither could their friends and family.

However, since Derek was discovered by Hockey Scouts two years ago at Queens, and started playing professionally, Casey hardly saw him. He was always travelling and never at home. Ironically, it was exactly what Casey was doing as well, minus the hockey and of course it being a secret, so it wasn't like she'd have much time to see her stepbrother much anyway.

"That's odd..." Casey whispered as she turned down the hall and saw that her guest bedroom light was on. "I don't remember leaving that on when I left this morning..."

Casey quickly and quietly made her way towards the door and tried to listen for any sounds or movements from inside. When she heard none, she took a deep breath and pushed open the door.

"Hey," spoke a deep set voice from behind her and Casey spun around ready to attack. "Whoa! Kung fu Princess, chill out, it's just me." The intruder said with his hands raised in surrender. "Didn't mean to scare you." He smirked.

Casey let out a heavy sigh as she dropped her fists and glared at the intruder, "Der-ek! What are you doing here? It's the middle of the night!" She demanded to know.

"Didn't you get my message?"

Casey mentally kicked herself for not listening to his message and shook her head with a sigh, "No."

"You should really check your messages, Case, they could be important." Derek smirked.

"Just tell me why you are in my house at three in the morning, Derek?" Casey groaned with impatience.

"I couldn't stay at the hotel. My roommate has the flu and I can't afford to get sick during playoff season." Derek shrugged.

"So you came here?" Casey seethed through her teeth.

"Yeah, you have an extra room, so I thought why not put it to some good use? And besides, I knew you wouldn't mind."

"Wouldn't mind?" Casey scoffed. "For your information, I do mind very much! Especially when it's so late at night and I'm tired!"

"Calm down. It'll only be for a couple of nights. Then I'll be headed to Alberta."

"How did you get in here anyway?" Casey asked with her hands on her hips and a raised brow.

"I borrowed your key from your purse one day and made a copy."

"Der-ek!" Casey cried as she smacked his arm.

"Hey, I was only thinking of you!" Derek raised his voice as he rubbed the spot where she'd hit him.

Casey narrowed her eyes at him, "Oh really, Derek? Stealing my key from my purse and making a copy without my consent was thinking of me?"

"Yes," he nodded. "What if there was ever an emergency and you couldn't get into your place or you were unconscious inside of your place and no one had a way of getting in...? You could die..."

Casey rolled her eyes and then a thought suddenly occurred to her, "Why didn't you ask your girlfriend if you could stay at her place?"

Derek scratched the back of his neck as he stared at the ground, "We... uh... kind of broke up."

"_Kind of_ broke up? Weren't you dating for two years?"

"Yeah... things just weren't working out."

Casey frowned, "I thought you really liked her?"

"I did... but then I realized that she just wasn't the girl for me."

"Oh? And who is?" Casey raised a brow.

"I'll let you know when I find her." Derek winked.

"I can't wait." Casey sighed with sarcasm.

She couldn't believe she had to deal with this right now. The night had gone great so far. Her mission had been successful, her boss was thrilled, and she was ready to have a hot shower and relax with a book in bed. But no, _he_ had to show up and ruin everything!

"You can't stay here, Derek." Casey stood her ground as she folded her arms across her chest.

"You'll hardly notice I'm here. I promise." Derek smiled, pleading with his big brown eyes.

Casey groaned as she pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on, "Fine, you can stay for the night but tomorrow you are gone."

"But..."

She raised a hand to silence him, "I don't want to hear it. I am going for a shower and then I am going to bed. I don't want to hear a sound coming from you for the rest of the night. Got it?"

"Can I at least breathe?"

"I'd rather you didn't." She said as she turned away from him and headed towards her bedroom to grab a change of clothes before her shower.

"Funny," he snipped with sarcasm. "So what are you doing getting home this late anyway?" Derek asked as he followed her.

"I... had to work late." Casey replied without turning around.

"Till three in the morning?"

"Yes, now will you please leave me alone?"

"I see that Blue agency or whatever is still working you hard."

"It's R.E.D. and yes, hence it being my job."

"What is it you do again?"

"I research." Casey lied.

"Research what?"

"Economic studies."

"Sounds fun." Derek drawled.

"You have no idea." Casey smiled as she turned back towards her room.

"Hey, what's that?" Derek asked as he grabbed her by the arm.

"What?"

Derek was staring at the back of her right shoulder with concern, "There's something on your shirt."

Casey tried to see what he was staring at but it was out of line with her eyesight, "I don't see anything."

"Case, it looks like blood."

Casey's eyes widened. The bullet from the guard must have skimmed closer than she thought. How could she not notice that?

"It... It's nothing." Casey tried to pull away from his grasp.

"It looks like you're cut. Take off your shirt."

"What?"

"I need to take a look at it. It could get infected."

"Since when do you know anything about cuts?"

"I'm a hockey player, Case. Trust me; I know a lot about cuts. Now take off your shirt so I can look at it."

Casey shook her head, "I'll be fine. I can take care of it myself."

"You can't even see it. Let me help you."

"Derek!" Casey snapped. "I can handle it."

"There's no need to get so defensive. I just want to help."

"I don't need your help. It's just a cut."

Derek sighed, "Casey, if you don't take off your shirt, I will be forced to take it off myself."

"You wouldn't." Casey glared at him.

Derek smirked, "You know I would."

"Derek, this isn't just an excuse to see me without a shirt is it?" Casey smirked at him. Hoping to catch him off guard and make him rethink his decision. If she took off her shirt, he would see the other bruises and cuts on her body from the many other fights she'd been in over the years due to her _job_.

His eyes widened in shock, "W...what? Why... why would I want to see you without a shirt?" He stuttered out, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable.

"I don't know," she shrugged. "You tell me?"

"Casey, you really are bleeding. Can't you just accept that your _stepbrother_ wants to help you?" He was starting to sweat.

"Derek," Casey smiled affectionately as she placed her hand on his arm, "I appreciate your concern but I can handle a little cut. I'll just use the mirror in the bathroom to bandage it up. Ok?"

Derek nodded hesitantly as he stared at her hand on his arm, "Um... Yeah... ok. Fine."

"Good night." Casey said as she removed her hand and made her way into her bedroom and closed the door.

"Night." Derek breathed out with a sigh.

_Phew. That was a close one. _Casey thought as she started searching in her drawers for some clothes. _There is no way that Derek can stay here more than one night. If he finds out my secret, I'm screwed._

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><p><strong>So far I have ten chapters written up. I will try my hardest to update every week. I really like this story and I'm hoping you will too.<strong>

**Please feel free to Review. I love any feedback I can get on my stories. It's honestly the highlight of my day to read what you think. **

**Also, let me know if you can guess which TV show was part of my inspiration for this... (besides LWD. Haha!)**

**Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks so much for the Reviews! I'm glad you like it so far! Your comments made me want to post the second chapter right away, so here it is!**

**Also, just to let you know beforehand... This story will revolve a lot around Casey and her life but it is a Derek/Casey story, so don't worry. I always make sure there's a scene between the two of them in each chapter because, seriously, what's a LWD story without Dasey interaction?**

**As well, pretty much any place or location in this story, besides the obvious, are made up.**

**Enjoy. **

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

R.E.D. Headquarters, downtown Toronto

8:02 AM

Casey rushed through the doors of the tall building where she worked each dayand made her way to the elevator. She was running late due to a certain annoying stepbrother who hogged _her _bathroom that morning. She pressed the number twenty-three button, scanned her surroundings and then pressed twenty-three and fifteen at the same time. A small keyboard popped out of the side requesting an access code, which Casey typed in from memory and then a red light illuminated the small space, scanning Casey and the area.

"Welcome, Agent Casey McDonald." A computer Operated voice they called Chip responded. "You are seven minutes later than usual."

"Thanks Chip. I know." Casey replied with a frown as the elevator doors opened and she got off on the covert floor, reserved for R.E.D. agents.

Casey walked down the hall and entered her petite office space complete with a desk and computer. There were many others just like it side by side. She set her purse down on the desk, applied some lip gloss and walked out again, making her way towards the meeting room, or _Mission Room_ as everyone called it, where she knew her boss and colleagues were waiting.

"Agent McDonald, glad to see you could join us." Her boss smiled as she entered the room and closed the doors behind her.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Sir. It won't happen again." She apologised as she took a seat at the large rectangular desk in the middle of the room.

"Don't be sorry. After seeing your results from the mission last night, I am in no mood to judge. Splendid job." He beamed at her.

"Thank you, sir." Casey smiled with a nod. "I couldn't have done it without my partner." She said as she gestured to the agent seated next to her.

"Yes, I already spoke with Agent Blake," her boss nodded. "You both did a terrific job."

Casey's boss, Colonel Jaquin Kluess, was a large man, not in the stomach but in the height and muscles. He was dark skinned with a bald head and handsome features; she guessed he was in his mid forties. He had a scar on his left cheek from when he used to work as a field agent in the 1990's. It was rumoured that he'd been kidnapped while on assignment in Africa and had been tortured for three weeks until he finally escaped, killing all the men involved.

"Now," Jaquin spoke as he stood at the head of the table with a wry grin, "shall we begin?" He pressed a button on a remote in his hand and a holographic image appeared on top of the table, showing the disk that Casey and her partner had retrieved in L.A. the other night.

"This disk contains numerous government secrets and was stolen last week by a man named Greggor Haldega. He is a very dangerous man who has been in our sights for many years. He owns three major corporations, one in Toronto, one in France, and one in L.A., which is where Agents McDonald and Blake retained the disk last night. Thanks to them, we now have one of the most important government pieces back in our custody."

He pressed another button on the remote and the holographic image changed to a video of a young girl riding her bike down the street. Suddenly a black SUV pulled up beside her and three men with masks jumped out and kidnapped her, leaving the bike on the ground behind as they sped away.

The image changed to show a picture of the girl who was kidnapped, probably a school photo due to her pretty dress and beautiful smile. She had long dark hair, brown eyes, and freckles scattered about her nose and cheeks.

"This is our next case. The girl's name is Sarah Mitchell. She is eleven-years-old and the daughter of a computer programmer who goes by the name of Dylan Mitchell." The image changed to a picture of a skinny man with short dark hair and dark rimmed glasses covering deep set brown eyes.

"Mr. Mitchell was taken a few weeks ago by the same black SUV and men in ski masks. We believe his daughter is being held for ransom in exchange for Mr. Mitchell's aid in recovering some very important data that could endanger the lives of many citizens if in the wrong hands. It's also possible that Haldega is involved."

The holographic imager was turned off as Colonel Kluess turned to address Casey and her partner, "McDonald and Blake, it is your job to find out where Mr. Mitchell and his daughter are being held and get them back before they are used against us."

Casey nodded as she glanced at her partner.

"The rest of you can get back to whatever it was you were doing before." Kluess ordered as the meeting adjourned and everyone stood up to head back to their desks and work places.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Casey McDonald, secret agent extraordinaire, was late for work." Casey's partner and good friend, Benjamin Blake,_ tsked_ with a smirk on his face as they walked out of the meeting room together.

Ben had short cropped dirty blonde hair and gorgeous emerald green eyes. He was well built, very muscular, and had a strong set jaw. Many women fell head-over-heals for him after one glance. Even Casey had to admit she found him attractive, and when she first met him had imagined becoming the future Mrs. Benjamin Blake, but as they grew closer and started working on assignments and missions together, Casey couldn't see him as anything more than a close friend.

Casey sighed, "It wasn't my fault. My stepbrother decided to break into my house last night, sleep in my spare room and hog the bathroom this morning."

"Your stepbrother... the hockey player?"

Casey nodded with a frown, "The bane of my existence: Derek."

"I thought you two were pretty close?"

"It's complicated."

"I see." He nodded with an all knowing smile.

Casey raised her brow at him, "What?"

"Nothing." He grinned.

"Ben..." Casey groaned.

They walked into Ben's office, which was right next to Casey's. Ben sat down in his desk chair and let it spin a couple of times before he stopped to face her.

"You seem to get that smile a lot when I talk about Derek." Casey stated with her hands on her hips.

"You won't like what I' m thinking..." He finally said as he leaned back in the chair and grinned up at her.

"Just tell me."

"Maybe later... We should get working on our assignment." Ben grinned as he spun the chair away from her and flipped open his laptop.

"I hate to say this but you're right. Work needs to come first." Casey said with a frown.

"I knew you'd say that." Her partner chuckled.

"Ok, how about you do some more research on Dylan Mitchell and I'll review the kidnapping video of his daughter to see if I can spot any clues as to who these men are and where they could be keeping her."

Ben nodded, "Sounds like a plan."

Casey walked back into her own office and sat down at her desk. Just as she was about to open up her laptop, her phone started buzzing in her pocket.

"Hello?" Casey answered it immediately.

"Hey, honey, did you get my message last night?" It was her mother, Nora.

"Oh! Mom, yes. I didn't get home till late and had to rush to work this morning. Unfortunately Derek decided to stay at my house last night as well."

"Did he tell you about the break-up?"

"Yes. I really liked Liza." Casey frowned.

"I know. I was sure she was the one for him. Do you know why they broke up?"

"Derek only said that he realized she wasn't the one."

"Figures." Her mother sighed.

"Was there another reason you called so early?" Casey asked as she opened her laptop and turned it on.

"I was just wondering how you've been doing. We haven't seen you or Derek in over two months."

"I'm sorry, Mom. I've been so busy with school and work lately that I hardly even have time for myself these days." Casey responded as she inserted the kidnapping video into her computer and clicked on the file to open it.

"I understand. It's just that we miss you... _I _miss you."

"I miss you too, Mom." Casey smiled as she pressed play on the video and began to watch it while still speaking to her mother.

"And you wouldn't believe how big Simon is getting." Her mother chuckled. "He even got his first loose tooth yesterday."

"That's great, Mom. Tell him I'll send him some money when he loses it."

"He'd rather you come see him in person. You know how much he looks up to you and Derek."

Casey sighed as she rubbed her weary eyes, "I know, Mom."

"You are coming to the engagement party, right?" Her mother sounded almost pleading as she spoke.

"If something more important doesn't come up." Casey replied as she clicked the play back button on the screen and watched the video again.

"Casey, Victoria is expecting you to be there. You are one of the bride's maids after all."

"Which still doesn't make much sense considering we've never been really close."

"That's not the point. You are family and you should be grateful that she asked you to be in the wedding party."

Casey groaned, "I am, Mom, and I will try my best to be there."

"Victoria's not the only one expecting to see you there, you know. Your sister will be there too. She gets back from her soccer tour in England this week and is very excited to see you."

Casey had to admit that if she missed anyone the most it would be Lizzie. Ever since she'd started playing professional soccer in college, she'd been touring around the world and Casey hadn't seen her in almost six months. She couldn't wait to feel her sister in her arms again and give her a warm hug.

As Casey was thinking about seeing Lizzie again and listening to her mother go on about Victoria's engagement party, her eyes had been focussed on the video still playing in front of her. Something in the video suddenly caught her attention and she had to replay it a fourth time to observe it. She zoomed in on the screen to get a better look.

"...And they're going to be serving steak, garlic mashed potatoes, veggies and..." Nora continued to speak but was soon cut off by Casey's urgent voice.

"Mom, I'm sorry but I really have to go now. Something very important just came up at work." Casey said as she stared wide eyed at the screen displayed in front of her.

"That's alright, Dear, I understand. Please call me when you get the chance."

"I will. I love you, Mom."

"I love you too. Have fun at work."

"Thanks. Bye."

Casey hung up the phone and placed it back in her purse as she stood up and hurried out of her office and into Ben's.

"I know where they are." Casey grinned as she spun her partner's desk chair around so that he was facing her.

Ben's eyes widened as he returned the grin and stood up, "That was quick."

"You've got to take a look at this." Casey said as she grabbed his arm and hauled him back into her own office.

Casey clicked on the play button and the video started. It showed Sarah Mitchell riding her bike down the street, then the black SUV pulled up and three men with masks got out of the car and ambushed the young girl.

"Did you see that?" Casey suddenly exclaimed as she pointed to the screen.

"See what?" Ben looked at her like she was crazy.

"Watch it again." She said with a roll of her eyes as she replayed the video and watched it with excitement.

Casey paused the video and looked expectantly at her partner, "Did you see it this time?"

Ben scratched his head as he raised his brow at her, "I didn't see anything but the little girl being kidnapped by three guys in ski masks."

Casey let out an irritated groan as she clicked the zoom button and replayed the scene for him one more time.

The zoomed-in version showed Sarah's front bike tire and handle bars as she rode down the street, then it showed the back of the SUV pull up alongside the curb with only half of the license plate showing. It then proceeded to show the three men get out of the vehicle and grab the girl. Suddenly something caught Ben's eye as he watched the man closest to the screen, it showed the lower half of his backside and sticking out of his back jeans pocket was a match-box that read: _Callahan's Bar and Motel_.

Casey paused the video on the match-box and turned to face her partner with a grin upon her face.

"How do you catch these things?" He asked with an incredulous look.

Casey shrugged nonchalantly, "When I have homework, I make sure I do a good job of it."

"That bar is here in Toronto. It's a long shot but it's the best we've got, so let's go speak to the boss." He said as he grabbed her laptop from the desk and began to make his way out of her office and towards Colonel Kluess's office.

(+)

Apartment building in West side Toronto

9:02 PM

Casey opened the door to her apartment and walked inside. What a crazy day. Not only had they figured out where Dylan Mitchell and his daughter, Sarah, were being held, but they saved them before any harm could be made. They'd arrested the men who had kidnapped them, minus their leader, Greggor Haldega, whom unfortunately got away, and now the Mitchell's were back home safe and sound and entering Witness Protection with the rest of their family.

Casey took off her shoes and coat and made her way into the kitchen to grab a drink of water and make a quick snack before sitting down to fill out the paper work she'd have to hand in tomorrow. Being a spy wasn't all action unfortunately.

After making a turkey, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, Casey went into the living room where her computer awaited her. As she sat down on the couch, something suddenly moved beneath her making Casey jump up, dropping her sandwich, and switching into defence mode once again.

"Where's _my_ sandwich?" Derek grinned from where he was sprawled out on her sofa, probably just waking up from a nap.

"Der-ek!" Casey shrieked as she bent down and smacked him on the arm.

"Ow, Case!" Derek cried as he touched the spot she'd just hit him. "You know, your punches have gotten a lot harder these days." He speculated as he sat up on the couch while she knelt down to pick up her ruined sandwich from the floor. "And what's with the fighter's pose every time I scare you? Do you seriously think you could take me?"

_Actually, yes I do. I've even taken guys bigger than you. Even three at a time, like today for example. _Casey replied in her head.

"Why are you here, Derek?" She asked him, needing a subject change. "I thought I told you one night only?"

"My roommate is still sick and the game in Edmonton was cancelled due to crappy weather conditions." Derek shrugged. "Plus I thought since we haven't spent any time together lately, that you wouldn't mind having your favourite stepbrother live with you for a few extra days."

"Edwin's coming to live with me for a few days?" Casey smirked as she stood up with the ruined sandwich and made her way back towards the kitchen.

"Nope, even better." Derek said as he followed her. "Me!"

"Oh joy." Casey rolled her eyes.

_No! _Casey cried on the inside. _He can't stay here! He's already asking questions and I don't think I can continue to dissuade him from them much more!_

"Come on, Case, you know you miss me." Derek said as he placed his arm around her shoulder. "You're always so busy with your job and I'm always so busy with hockey that we haven't even gone out for dinner together in about... two years... And I hate to admit it but I miss hanging out. Just the two of us."

"You do?" Casey quirked her brow as she turned in his arms to look at him.

Derek realized what he'd just confessed and suddenly his face turned beat red as he stepped away from her and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well... a little bit..."

Casey laughed, "Derek, I didn't know you cared so much. I thought you hated spending time with me?"

Derek suddenly frowned as he turned away and let out an over exaggerated yawn, "I'm tired. I'm going to head off to bed now. Night, Spacey." He said as he began to retreat from the kitchen.

Casey grabbed him by the arm shouting, "Not so fast, _Dereka_!"

"Case-y" Derek whined as he turned around to face her, "I'm tired."

"No, you're not. I know you were just napping on my couch before I got home, so cut the crap."

Derek gasped in mock horror, "Did Casey McDonald just use the _C_ word?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Derek, tell me what's going on?"

"Nothing's going on."

"Then why won't you talk to me?"

"Because I'm tired."

"Derek."

Derek sighed as he stared into her eyes, "Look... I was just wondering if... maybe tomorrow night, if you're not busy... Doyouwanttohavedinnerwithme?"

"What?"

Derek let out a deep breath, "Do you want to go out for dinner... you know... like our old times at Queens...?"

Casey smiled as she touched his shoulder, "I'd love to, Derek."

Derek stared at her hand on his shoulder and then took a step back forcing her hand to fall to her side.

"Great," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "So then tomorrow night... Us _Step-sibs_ will eat out."

"Yep. Sounds good." Casey nodded, suddenly feeling the awkward tension in the room.

"Ok, well... uh... I'm going to go watch some TV." Derek said as he turned away from her and walked out of the kitchen.

Casey let out a sigh as she dumped the ruined sandwich inside the garbage can and opened the fridge to retrieve the items to make a new one. As she was grabbing the mayonnaise, Casey's home phone began to ring. She abandoned the mayo and closed the fridge before grabbing the cordless phone from its charger and pressed talk.

"Hello?"

"Good evening, Agent McDonald." A familiar voice replied and Casey immediately froze in fear.

"Phil?"

* * *

><p><strong>Oooh! Some mystery and Suspense! You better make sure to tune into the next update to find out who Phil is... ;)<strong>

**If I get at least 8-10 reviews on this chapter, then I'll make sure to post the 3rd ASAP. I really do love your reviews! They encourage me in my writing and make me feel good, so please review! I love reading what you thought. Even if its a paragraph or two long, I LOVE it!**

**Also, this is a really exciting day because my band's song is getting released to the radio stations today! I'm waiting with the radio on right now to hear it. So psyched! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wow! You guys made my day! Thanks so much for the Reviews!**

**This chapter involves a flashback for most of it. You find out how Casey became a secret spy and a little more about this mysterious Phil character...**

**There will be more action in the next chapter. I promise.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3<strong>

_Six Years ago._

_Queens University, Kingston_

_1:42 PM_

_Casey McDonald sat quietly in the campus library doing some research on a paper that was due next week for her English Literature class. Derek had tried to convince her that she needed to take a break from school work and hang out with him at the mall before her next class but Casey declined. This was University and there was no way she was going to let his slacker ways influence her. She needed to stay focussed. This was her future hanging in the balance, her life career... If only she knew what exactly she wanted her life career to be..._

_ "Hello, Miss. McDonald." A deep voice spoke from in front of her. Casey looked up to see that the voice belonged to a dark haired, middle aged man wearing a black suit and a tacky red tie._

_ "Um... hi." Casey smiled uneasily._

_ "My name is Philip Greenwood and my employer would like to offer you a job."_

_ "Oh really? And who is this employer?" Casey wasn't falling for this nonsense. Derek knew she was looking for a job and he probably hired this guy for some lame practical joke._

_ "He would like you to take this test and if the results are what we're looking for, then we'll be in contact." Philip said as he handed Casey a brown envelope with the words CLASSIFIED written on the cover._

_ "Did my stepbrother put you up to this?"_

_ "I'm sorry?"_

_ "My stepbrother, Derek, he's always thinking of new ways to prank me and I'm guessing he hired you to hand me this envelope and offer me a fake job because he's cruel like that."_

_ Philip shook his head in confusion, "I'm sorry, I don't know any Derek."_

_ "Derek Venturi?"_

_ "This is no joke, Miss. McDonald. My employer requests that you take that test within the next few days, drop it off at this address," he handed her a folded piece of paper, "and please do not say a word of this to anyone."_

_ "How come?" Casey raised a suspicious brow._

_ "Have a nice day, Miss. McDonald. We look forward to working with you." Philip smiled with a nod of his head and walked away._

_ Casey stared down at the piece of paper and unfolded it. It read the address of a building downtown called Research Economics Division, "Wait!" Casey called as she stood up but Philip was already gone._

_ When Casey saw Derek that evening for dinner she was sure he would bring up Philip and the classified test but he didn't. Not one word. He didn't even have that gleam in his eye when she knew he was up to something sneaky that usually involved her humiliation._

_ So after dinner that night, Casey entered her dorm room, which was vacant due to her roommate visiting her family in Saskatchewan, and opened the envelope. To her surprise it was a real test that she pulled out with real questions. It was about twenty pages long. She wasn't sure if she could trust Philip Greenwood, if that was his real name, but this could be legit and she could have a new job, so out of curiosity, Casey began to read and fill out each question on the test._

_ Four hours later, Casey let out an exhausted sigh as she completed the last question and decided to go over the test one more time to make sure everything was answered correctly and appropriately. By the time she was done the clock read 5:09 AM._

_ Casey slept for three hours before her alarm went off at eight and she got ready for school. _

_ "Hey, Space Case." Derek greeted her as Casey entered the University building with a yawn. "You don't look too good..." He frowned._

_ "I didn't get much sleep last night."_

_ "How come?"_

_ "I was studying." Which was technically not a lie... Sort of..._

_ "You seriously need to stop working so hard and get a social life, girl."_

_ "Can I borrow the Prince at lunch?" Casey asked, ignoring his comment._

_ "What for?"_

_ "I... uh... have a job interview downtown..." Which technically wasn't a lie either._

_ "Really?" Derek smiled. "That's great! How about I drive you there myself?"_

_ "No, that's alright. I don't know how long it will take and you have a class right after lunch."_

_ "So, I'll skip it." Derek shrugged._

_ "No, you will go to class and I will take the Prince."_

_ Derek sighed, "Fine, but be careful. There's a lot of crazy drivers downtown."_

_ "Awe." Casey smiled at him. "You actually care about my safety."_

_ Derek shook his head, "No, I care about The Prince's safety."_

_ "Der-ek!"_

_Six hours later, Casey found the address on the folded piece of paper and approached the large building with a sign in front that said: R.E.D. in big bold letters and Underneath was written: Research Economics Division. _

_ Casey entered the building and walked into a large lobby fully furnished with black marble flooring and a high ceiling. A few people passed by here and there as she continued to the center of the lobby towards a huge wrap around desk where a man and two women were seated talking on the phone or typing on their computers._

_ "Hello," Casey greeted as she approached the desk and spoke to one of the women who was currently typing on her keyboard. "My name is Casey McDonald. I was told to fill out this test and hand it in here from a Mr. Philip Greenwood."_

_ The woman didn't even look up as she gestured towards a box on the left side of her desk, "Just put it in there, Miss. McDonald, and if your results are pleasing you will be contacted within the next few days."_

_ "Do you know exactly what this job is for...?"_

_ The receptionist held up her hand as she answered the phone, which was a headset attached to her ear, "Hello, Research Economics Division, how may I assist you?"_

_ Casey sighed and decided the woman would be of no help to her. She would just head back to school and wait to see if anyone contacted her about her test results and if she got the job or not._

_Two days later Casey got a phone call on her cell while she was having lunch with some friends._

_ "Hello?" She answered._

_ "Miss. McDonald, this is Philip Greenwood, we met the other day in the library."_

_ Casey nodded as she excused herself from her friends and walked to a more secluded area, "Yes, I remember. Did you receive my test?"_

_ "Yes we did and your results were very pleasing. We would like to hire you as soon as possible."_

_ "Really?" Casey couldn't help but grin in excitement. _

_ "Yes. Are you available tonight at around six?"_

_ Casey was supposed to have dinner with Derek that night but she knew he would understand if she had to cancel for a job interview, "Yes, I'm free."_

_ "Do you remember the address I gave you to drop off the test at?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ "Good, I will meet you there. Six-o-clock, Miss. McDonald. Not a minute late."_

_ "Ok, thank you, Mr. Greenwood."_

_ "One more thing, Miss. McDonald," Philip spoke with a more serious tone. "Nobody is to know about this meeting."_

_ "May I ask why?"_

_ "We will explain everything when you get there." He said and then hung up._

_ Casey sighed as she hung up her own phone and looked around. She was feeling a little adamant about this. What if this was a set up and they wanted to harm her? But would they really go to all this trouble if it was for nothing? _

_ Casey's phone started ringing again and she answered it._

_ "Hello?"_

_ "Hey, Case, I was thinking we go Italian tonight. What do you say?" It was Derek._

_ "Um... I can't go tonight, Derek, I'm sorry."_

_ "Oh," he sounded slightly hurt. "Why not?"_

_ "Because... I..." _

_ Nobody is to know about this meeting._

_ "I'm not feeling too good and I think I should stay home and rest."_

_ "Are you going to be okay? I can bring over some chicken soup..."_

_ "No... Um... That's alright. I'd rather not infect you as well." Since when did Derek become so caring?_

_ "Ok... Well... As long as it's nothing serious..."_

_ "I'll be fine. Thanks, Der. Maybe we can have dinner tomorrow night? Sound good?"_

_ "As long as you're not still sick. I can't afford to catch anything or the coach will kill me."_

_ "I'll let you know tomorrow then."_

_ "K. Get better, Princess."_

_ "Bye." Casey hung up._

_ She felt horrible for lying to Derek like that, especially when he was actually concerned for her, which didn't happen often. _

_ "This job better be worth it." Casey sighed._

_That night, Casey took the bus downtown because she knew Derek would ask questions about her needing to borrow the Prince again, especially when she'd just cancelled dinner with him and told him she was sick. _

_ She got off the bus at exactly 5: 50 PM, a block away from the R.E.D. building, and made her way down the street towards it. Once inside the building, Casey walked up to the receptionist desk where the same woman from earlier in the week was seated, once again talking on the phone._

_ "Hi, my name is Casey McDonald. I'm supposed to be meeting a Phillip Greenwood here." Casey said once the woman was finished her phone conversation and turned her attention towards her._

_ "Good evening, Miss. McDonald. Please enter the elevator on the left and press number twenty-three." The receptionist said as she pointed towards the elevators behind her._

_ "Um... thank you..." Casey smiled nervously as she approached the elevators and the left side elevator immediately opened up._

_ Casey quickly glanced around her surroundings before entering the elevator and pressing the number twenty-three button. The doors slid closed and Casey let out a breath she'd been holding as the elevator began to ascent._

_ "You are fine, Casey. Nothing is going to happen. You are here for a job interview." Casey told herself as she watched the numbers on the elevator change as she passed each floor._

_ The elevator stopped on the twenty-third floor as expected but the doors did not open. Suddenly a computerized voice started speaking; startling Casey and making her jump back, wondering where the voice was coming from._

_ "Cassandra Ashley McDonald. Birth: 04 17 1989." _

_ Casey was about to reply but was cut off when the voice spoke again telling her to hold still._

_ A red light lit up the elevator and seemed to be scanning her body as it moved back and forth around her. Casey tried to stay under control and not move but her nerves were eating her alive. She wasn't sure what to make of this. For all she knew this could be some death ray getting ready to dispose of her and her family and friends would never know what happened._

_ "Scanning complete. You may proceed, Agent McDonald." The voice spoke and the light turned off._

_ "_Agent_ McDonald?" Casey questioned aloud._

_ "That is correct, Miss. McDonald." The doors opened to reveal Phillip Greenwood standing there with a smile on his face. "You are now a Government agent for the secret service."_

_ "Excuse me?" Casey was beyond confused as she stood there with her mouth slightly agape. "Is this some kind of joke?"_

_ "Like I said before, this is no joking matter. You have been selected out of three hundred other students at Queens University to take our test and only twenty-six, including you, passed with flying colors."_

_ "You're serious?" Casey's eyes widened in disbelief._

_ Phillip nodded, "You now have a choice, Miss. McDonald. Would you like to accept this offer and become a government spy, or decline and go back to whatever normal life you were leading before?"_

_ "What happens if I decline?"_

_ "You will be sworn to secrecy, signing numerous government documents, stating that you will never speak of this again as long as you live."_

_ "Do I at least get a few days to think my decision over?"_

_ Phillip shook his head, "I'm sorry, Miss. McDonald, but it's either now or never."_

_ Casey thought it over for a moment and slowly nodded her head, "I... I accept."_

_ "Are you a hundred percent sure that this is what you want? This is a big decision and we will understand if you would rather decline."_

_ Casey shook her head with determination this time, "I want to do this."_

_ Phillip nodded and then stepped inside the elevator alongside her. The doors closed and Casey watched as he pressed the number 23 button and 15 at the same time, then the red light came on again and scanned them._

_ "Greetings, Agent Greenwood and Agent McDonald," The computerized voice spoke and the red light disappeared. "You may proceed."_

_ "Thank you, Chip." Phillip replied as the doors opened and he walked out, followed close behind by an astonished and intrigued Casey._

_ "Chip?" Casey asked as they began to walk down a brightly lit hallway._

_ "It stands for Computer Hazard Identity Program. Chip is our security in and around the R.E.D. building. He also helps manage our files and back up systems."_

_ "So is this whole building connected to the Government secret agency?"_

_ "Research Economics Division is just a cover for what really goes on in here. Only four floors are actually in use by the agency and the rest are just for show. Level three-seven contains our holding cells for when we capture a criminal on assignment and bring them back here. The government usually sends someone to pick them up within the next twenty-four hours. Next, is Level six-eighteen, which is our gym and physical training center. That is where you will learn how to use self defence and field training techniques with Sensei Raul Hershey."_

_ "Like the chocolate?"_

_ "Yes, but no relation." Phillip nodded and then continued. "Level ten-twenty-one is where our tech and gear for missions are created. Mason Marz is head scientist in that department. One of the smartest men I know. And finally we have Level fifteen-twenty-three, which is the level we are currently on, where our offices are located, along with the mission room, as we like to call it."_

_ "Mission room?"_

_ "It is where we discuss our next missions and investigations." _

_ "And will I get my own office here?"_

_ "In time, Miss. McDonald. First, you will have to prove you are worthy of being a spy."_

_ "And how long will that take?" _

_ "Sometimes it can take up to three to five years."_

_ Casey let out a breath, "That's a long time."_

_ "Not if you're well trained." He winked at her._

_ They turned down a corner of the hallway and suddenly Casey was face-to-face with a massive room that seemed to continue on forever. There were doorways leading to numerous office spaces. Each door had a name and number on it and Casey read each one as she continued to follow Phillip Greenwood down the halls._

_ "Hey, Phil, who's the new recruit?" An extremely attractive man, who seemed to be a couple years older than Casey, smiled at her as they stopped in front of him._

_ "Benjamin Blake, this is Casey McDonald." Phillip introduced._

_ Benjamin took her hand in his and gave it a light squeeze, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss. McDonald."_

_ Casey blushed as she stared into his beautiful green eyes, "Likewise."_

_ He then brought her hand to his mouth and placed a warm kiss on top, making Casey blush even harder._

_ "See you around." He smiled as he dropped her hand and retreated inside the room that they were standing in front of._

_ "Shall we carry on, Miss. McDonald, or are you too busy imagining those lips covering your own instead of your hand?" Phillip grinned, causing Casey to turn an even darker shade of red (if that was even possible)._

_ Casey followed Phillip to the very end of the hall and stopped in front of two large black doors._

_ "This here is the Mission Room and right next door is the big boss himself."_

_ "Oh. I thought you were the boss..."_

_ Phillip laughed, "No, not even close. The real boss is a very powerful man who goes by the name Colonel Jaquin Kluess. He seems pretty frightening at first but once you get on the guy's good side, he's a giant teddy-bear, minus the scars and the fact that he could rip a man's head off with one yank."_

_ Casey nodded with a gulp._

_ "And when do I get to meet Mr. Kluess?"_

_ "I can't say for sure. If your work impresses him, then you'll see him. Now, if you could follow me once again to my office and I will get you to fill out some paperwork." Phillip said as he turned back down the hall and stopped at room 246. He opened the door and held it while Casey stepped inside first._

_ "Please have a seat, Miss. McDonald."_

_ "You can call me Casey by the way." Casey spoke up as she took a seat across from his metal desk that sat in the corner of the room with a laptop computer placed on top._

_ Phillip took a seat behind his desk across from her and pulled out a large folder with her name on it. _

_ "Miss. Mc... Casey," Phillip corrected with a smile as he cleared his throat and opened the folder, "This here, contains all of your information; almost every documentation from your life so far. From report cards to doctor's appointments and surgeries," He grinned at her and then sat back in his chair as he read over the file in front of him. "What was it like having your appendix taken out the day of your sixteenth birthday?"_

_ Casey groaned, "Horrifying, especially when stupid Derek threw me a surprise party for himself."_

_ "Derek... Your prankster brother, right?" _

_ "Step-brother." Casey corrected._

_ "Right," he nodded, "your Mother, Nora, married George Venturi when you were both fifteen."_

_ Casey's eyes widened, "Wow, you really do have my life in there."_

_ "Yeah, sorry if it seems kind of stalkerish... Trust me I'm not stalking you."_

_ Casey laughed, "Don't worry about it. I understand."_

_ "We just like to make sure that we're not hiring a potential threat to the agency."_

_ "Understandable."_

_ "Which brings me to these." He said as he pulled out a stack of papers from inside his desk drawer._

_ "The papers I'm supposed to sign?"_

_ Phillip nodded. _

_ "Well bring them on!" Casey exclaimed with excitement as she dug out a pen from her purse, flipped to the first page and began reading it._

_ "I can already see we will have no problems with you, Miss. McDonald." Phillip smiled. "Or... I mean Casey."_

(=)

Six Years Later.

Casey's Apartment.

9:34 PM

"Phil... How did you... I thought you were..." Casey stumbled with words due to her shock.

"Dead?" She could picture Phil grinning on the other end of the conversation.

"How did you get this number?" She was suddenly angry as she growled into the receiver.

"I have my ways, dear Casey."

"What do you want, _Philip_?" Casey asked as she peeked through the kitchen door to make sure Derek wasn't listening. She let out a sigh of relief when she saw him sitting on the couch flipping through TV channels.

"Meet me at the _Chei Bistro _on the other side of town tomorrow night."

"Does Kluess know you're alive?"

"No, and if you tell anyone about this conversation, just remember that I know everything about you, Casey McDonald, including the whereabouts of each and every one of your family members."

Casey's eyes narrowed as she lowered her voice and spoke with as much venom as she could muster, "If you ever lay a single finger on any of them..."

"Just do as I say and you won't have to worry."

Casey sighed as she glared into the phone, "The Chei Bistro tomorrow night. What time exactly?"

"I knew you would come around." She could picture him grinning again. "Eight PM, Casey, and not a minute late." He said and then the line went dead.

"Hey, Case, do you have any popcorn? I have a craving." Derek asked as he walked into the kitchen. He stopped when he noticed the disturbed expression on his stepsister's face.

"Uh... You okay? You look pale." He observed.

Casey realized Derek standing there and immediately shook her head and looked up at him, "I'm fine. I'm just going to head off to bed now."

"You sure you're alright?" Derek looked at her with concern. "Who was that on the phone?"

"It was my mom." Casey lied. "She was just bugging me about Vicky's engagement party next weekend."

Derek nodded in understanding.

"Let me guess, you don't want to go because then everyone's going to be questioning you about your lack of a _special man_ in your life?" He said with a smirk.

Casey's eyes widened in surprise.

He chuckled, "I know you better than you think, Casey."

"I guess you do." Casey sighed. "And you're right. "I don't want to go for that exact reason. I know Vicky only asked me to be a part of the wedding party so that she could flaunt her new fiancé around."

"She's not that evil, Case." Derek rolled his eyes.

Casey scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest, "I seem to recall catching her kissing my boyfriend in high school."

"Yeah, well that _boyfriend_ was a jerk anyway."

"Still, Derek, she's my cousin and she did that to me. And I'm not saying that I haven't forgiven her for it, because I have. I just still don't like her as a person very much."

"I know." Derek smiled at her briefly before his expression turned serious once again and he took a step forward, placing his hand on her shoulder. "Are you sure Vicky is the only reason why you seem so bothered all of a sudden. I mean... Going to your evil cousin's engagement party will probably be horrible... But you seem to be really disturbed by something else..."

"It's nothing, Derek." Casey put on a fake smile. "But thanks for caring."

Derek stared into her eyes for a moment, knowing she wasn't telling him something but he decided to drop the subject for right now as he let out a sigh.

"Fine, Spacey, don't tell me... But just remember that if you need to talk, I'm here."

"Thanks, Derek." Casey gave him a genuine smile this time. "That really means a lot, especially coming from you.

Derek's cheeks reddened and he realized that he still had his hand on her shoulder. He quickly removed it and stuffed it in his pocket.

"We are... you know... _family_... after all." He said with a slight cringe as he turned away from her. "Night, Case."

Casey watched as Derek left the kitchen. She couldn't help but notice the strange feeling she got in her gut when Derek referred to her as family.

"Good night, Derek." She breathed out as the door swung closed.

* * *

><p><strong>If the location of R.E.D. headquarters confuses you in this chapter, don't worry. There's a reason why it's in Kingston in the past and Toronto in the present. You won't find out for a while yet, but I thought I'd let you know just in case. <strong>

**Please feel free to leave Reviews. It excites me very much when I log on and see that the number has gone up. I like to know everything you're thinking and wondering, etc...**

**I will let you know the answer to my question from Ch. 1 in the next update, but this chapter may have helped a lot... **

**Thanks for reading! Can't wait to read what you think!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Another update! Yay!**

**Thanks for the Reviews!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4<strong>

Private Jet

Somewhere over British Columbia, Canada

10:00 AM

"What's up with you today?" Ben asked as he sat in the seat across from Casey on the Agency's private jet. They were on their way towards Vancouver following a lead on Haldega.

"What do you mean?" Casey asked as she turned from staring out the window at the beautiful mountain scenery below. She couldn't help letting her mind wander to the phone call she'd received the other night from a man she presumed to be dead and the fact that he wanted to see her. It sent shivers down her spine.

"You just seem out of it today. Is something bothering you?"

"Nothing's wrong." Casey lied as she looked at him.

"Casey, you're a great actor when on the field using an alias but you can't lie to save your life as just you." Ben chuckled.

"That's not true. My family still has no idea what I really do for a living." Casey spoke in defence.

"Casey," Ben sighed, "I have been your partner for four years now, you know you can trust me with anything."

Casey stared back out the window as she spoke, "Ben, it's nothing. Ok?"

"Is it about Derek?"

Casey turned her attention back to him with wide eyes, "No. Why do you assume it's about him?"

Ben shrugged nonchalantly, "Because I think your relationship with him is a bit odd."

"What relationship? Derek and I do not have a relationship."

"You are two stepsiblings that claim to hate each other but yet you're also great friends... And you always talk about him." He smirked.

"I do not always talk about Derek!"

Ben narrowed his eyes at her.

Casey let out a sigh, "Look, Ben, my and Derek's "relationship"," she air quoted with her fingers, "is none of your business. Who cares if I've never seen him as a brother the way I do with Edwin?"

"I knew it!" Ben exclaimed with a triumphant grin spread across his face. "You have feelings for Derek, don't you?"

_Did I just say that out loud? Crap!_

Casey's jaw dropped, "What? I did not say that! How can you even think that? Derek is my stepbrother, Benjamin, and that is all he is! So please just drop the subject?" Casey snapped.

Ben held up his hands in surrender, "Alright, alright. The subject of you liking Derek is dropped."

"I do not like Derek!"

(+)

Somewhere in the Mountains

12:11 PM

Casey dropped to the dirt covered ground as a bullet zoomed over top, just missing her head.

"He's firing!" She shouted into the communications device that was embedded inside her ear.

"I'm right behind him, Bluebird. Just stay put." Ben's voice replied as more shots were fired over head.

Casey took a deep breath in and then out as she listened for any sign that Ben had Haldega under control. Suddenly another shot rang out and her comms device beeped.

"I'm down, Bluebird! He's headed north! Be careful!"

Casey wanted to make sure that Ben was alright but she knew she had to go after Haldega before he escaped again.

"Hang in there, Honey Pot! I'll be right back with him in my custody!" Casey spoke into the comms device as she stood up and started running in the same direction of Haldega.

She spotted her target running through trees ahead and aimed her tranquilizer gun at him. She was just about to shoot when he suddenly turned around and fired his gun at her.

Casey dodged the bullet as it zipped past her shoulder and ran even faster towards him.

"Give up, Agent McDonald! You can't win this battle!" Haldega shouted as he continued running in front of her.

Casey paused for a moment, confused at how he knew her name and as soon as she looked back up, Haldega was gone, running east.

"Crap!" Casey cursed as she tried to keep up with him.

Just as Casey rounded a large tree, a fist shot out and punched her in the stomach. She cried out in pain as she hunched over and clutched her aching gut. She looked up to see Haldega grinning above her; getting a good look at him for the first time. He looked to be in his late forty's, even though his muscular and fit body would beg to differ. He had short greying black hair, a matching goatee, pointed nose, and beady hazel eyes that gave Casey the chills.

The young agent went to raise her gun at him but he suddenly kicked it out of her hand and it flew to the ground three feet away.

"Now what are you going to do without your precious tranq gun?" He spoke in French.

Casey brought her fist up and punched him in the jaw, forcing him to stagger back a bit.

"Give up, Haldega." Casey replied in French. "You can't escape."

Haldega growled and charged at Casey. Casey narrowly missed being hit in the head as she jumped up, did a back flip in the air and landed on the ground behind him.

"Impressive." The large man sneered as he turned to face her.

Casey moved forward to attack him again but Haldega unexpectedly lunged towards the ground, grabbed Casey's tranquilizer gun and before she could defend herself he shot her in the neck.

She franticly grabbed at the dart and pulled it from her flesh, already feeling the effects of the drug seeping into her system and forcing her legs to weaken, dropping her into the dirt face first.

Casey watched with heavy eyelids as Haldega threw the gun down beside her and got to his feet, dusting himself off with a smirk on his face, "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon, Casey." He said before everything went black.

(+)

R.E.D. Headquarters

5:27 PM

"Agent McDonald, can you hear me?"

Casey slowly opened her eyes. She could make out the blurry image of someone standing over her. She closed her eyes and reopened them, blinking a few times before realizing that it was the agency's medical advisor, Dr. Gloria Reinhardt, standing over her.

"Are you alright, Agent McDonald?" Dr. Reinhardt asked with concern as she flashed a small light in her eyes, forcing Casey to blink rapidly a few times.

"I... What happened?" Casey asked as she tried to shield her eyes from the light with her hand.

"You were found unconscious with a tranq dart in your neck. You were flown back to the agency immediately and have been out for five hours."

Realization dawned on Casey as she shot up from the bed she was lying down on and gasped, "He escaped! He shot me and then escaped!"

"Don't worry, Agent McDonald. We're just glad you're alive." Dr. Reinhardt tried to reassure her.

Casey stood up with wide eyes at another realization, "Ben! Ben was down! Is he okay?"

Reinhardt touched Casey's shoulder as she spoke, "Agent Blake is fine. He has a minor gun shot wound but nothing fatal."

"Can I see him?"

The doctor shook her head, "There will be plenty of time for that later. Right now I need to take your blood to make sure they didn't poison you or anything."

"I feel fine, just a bit dizzy."

"Better safe than sorry."

Casey sighed in defeat as she sat back down.

"Oh, and Colonel Kluess would like to have a word with you when we are finished."

Casey nodded as the doctor began to insert the needle into her arm.

(+)

Casey knocked on Colonel Jaquin Kluess' office door with a shaky hand. She was afraid her boss would be angry with her for messing up and letting Haldega escape once again.

"Come in." His profound voice replied from inside.

Casey took a deep breath in as she raised her hand to the knob and turned it.

"Agent McDonald." Kluess nodded as Casey walked in and took a seat on the white couch across from him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than before." She smiled weakly.

"We are all much relieved to hear that you and Agent Blake are alright."

"Thank you."

Kluess stood up from his desk with a grim look upon his face as he walked towards her and took a seat on the couch beside her.

_Here it comes... I am in so much trouble..._

"How did Haldega manage to get your tranq gun?" He asked as he stared into her eyes.

"I... He caught me off guard." Casey replied as she stared down at her hands in shame.

"Did he say anything to you?"

"He... He knew my name."

Kluess looked surprised as his eyes widened in confusion, "How? Did Blake slip up and ruin your cover?"

"No!" Casey shook her head. "We used our code names, just like always. I don't understand how he knew who I was... I'd never met the man until now."

Kluess cursed under his breath as he stood up, "We need to find that son of a..."

_Beep!_

The phone on Kluess' desk beeped, letting him know that he had a call waiting. He looked at the phone and then back at Casey, "Is there anything else I should know before you are dismissed, Agent?"

_Philip Greenwood called my house last night, threatened my family, and wants me to meet him in a couple of hours. _Casey replied in her mind, but instead of speaking it aloud, she shook her head no.

"Then you head on home and get some rest." He said as he walked towards his desk and picked up the phone receiver.

_That's it?_ Casey wondered in shock. _No yelling? No lecture?_

"Colonel Kluess speaking." Her boss said as he answered the phone and Casey exited his office with a baffled look upon her face.

(+)

Casey's Apartment Building.

7:08 PM

"Hey, Case, I was thinking we could go to BP's tonight. How's that sound?" Derek asked as Casey walked through the door of her apartment.

He noticed her dishevelled appearance and his smile turned into a frown.  
>"What happened to you?"<p>

Casey looked down at her dirt covered clothing and for the first time realized how awful she looked.

"You look like you've been rolling around in dirt all day." Derek said as he stared at her wide eyed.

"I've had a rough day." Casey replied as she slipped off her coat and headed towards her bedroom so that she could grab a change of clothes and have a shower.

"I'll say." Derek commented as he followed her. "What were you doing?"

"I had to do some research on soil at work." Casey lied.

"And it got all over your clothes?" Derek smirked.

Casey let out an irritated groan as she turned to face her stepbrother, "Look, Derek, I really don't have time for this. I need to get in the shower, clean myself up and then head back down town for a meeting."

The smirk on Derek's face was suddenly replaced with a grimace as he looked at her with hurt in his eyes, "I... I um thought we were going out tonight?"

_Crap! _Casey inwardly cursed. _I forgot Derek and I were going for dinner!_

"Derek, I am so sorry, but this meeting was scheduled at the last minute. I have no choice but to attend." Casey apologized.

Derek nodded his head, "It's fine, Case, I understand. I... uh... actually have to be somewhere as well."

"You do?"

"Yeah... My coach called and wants the team to practise tonight because we have a big game coming up."

Casey knew Derek was lying and she felt horrible for having to bail out on their dinner plans, but she literally had no choice. Her family's lives were in danger if she didn't keep her word and meet Phil tonight.

"We can reschedule, right?" Casey asked, trying to lighten the mood.

_That is if Phil doesn't kill me tonight. _

"Yeah, sure. No problem." Derek nodded. "Well I guess I better get going then." He said as he turned away from her.

"Derek," Casey spoke before he was gone.

Her stepbrother turned around and before he could open his mouth, Casey had grabbed him and held him in a tight embrace.

"Uh... What was that for?" Derek asked as Casey released him, both of their faces turning bright red.

Casey avoided his eyes as she spoke, "I just... felt like it... I guess..."

Derek rubbed the back of his neck, "Well next time, could I get a warning?"

Casey grinned, "Maybe." And then she turned away and walked into her room. "Have a good _practice_, Derek." She called out as she closed the door behind her.

As Casey undressed and stepped into the hot water of her shower, she couldn't help thinking about her encounter with Gregor Haldega that morning.

_How did he know my name? Why didn't he kill me? He definitely could have slit my throat or thrown me over a cliff while I was unconscious, or he could have kidnapped me even..._ Casey shuddered at the thought. _But he didn't. And what did he mean when he said he'd be seeing me soon? Does he intend on the Agency tracking him down again?_ _None of this makes sense. _

Casey scrubbed the dirt from her body as her thoughts shifted to the encounter she would have tonight with her old friend and colleague, a man she had trusted with her life, and a man who betrayed her.

She remembered watching Phillip Greenwood die with her own eyes and yet there was no mistake that that was his voice on the phone, requesting she meet up with him.

_But why now? _Casey wondered. _Why after two years has he suddenly decided to contact me? Is it out of revenge? Is he going to kill me? _

Casey wondered if she'd made a mistake by not telling Kleuss about Phil the moment she'd found out. Or the least she could have done was warn Ben that she was in trouble... He'd be by her side in an instant.

_But Phil threatened my family... _

Casey shook her head with burning eyes. There was no way she would let Phil near her family. She'd kill him again before he decided to use them against her will.

Casey finished washing her body and hair, then turned off the shower and let out a sigh.

_I can't tell Kleuss or Ben, no matter how badly I want to. My family means more to me than anything else and their safety is my number one concern. _

Unfortunately for Casey, Phil knew that and it was why he knew he could manipulate her into doing what he wanted.

* * *

><p><strong>Please Review! It means a lot! Tell me what you like. What you dislike. Feel free to ask questions and I will answer them (unless they contain spoilers). You guys are Awesome!<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks for the Great Reviews! I really do appreciate the support and I'm excited that you're enjoying my story.**

**Just to let you know, because I've had some questions about it.. This story is not related in any way to the movie RED with Bruce Willis, etc. I started writing this even before I ever saw that movie. I just thought R.E.D. sounded cool and it was easy to come up with words for it. **

**This chapter involves another flashback and the ending of this chapter is where the plot really starts taking off... Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><em>Four Years Ago<em>

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_Downtown Kingston_

_12:52 PM_

"_That's it, McDonald, aim for the target! Great job!" Sensai Raul Hershey, a tall and extremely fit black man, shouted with a proud smile as Casey jumped up and did a round house kick into the practice dummy, hitting it square in the chest._

_ "Thanks, Sensai." Casey smiled as she landed perfectly on her feet and took a deep breath in._

_ "You're getting better each day!" Raul said as he slapped her on the back. "Take five."_

_ "Do you think I'll be ready for the field soon?" Casey asked with eager eyes as she grabbed a towel and wiped her sweating brow with it._

_ "What does your handler say?"_

_ "Phil? He hasn't really said much... But I'm sure if you talk to him..."_

_ Sensai Hershey shook his head, "It is initially Agent Greenwood's decision whether you are ready for field work, Agent McDonald."_

_ Casey nodded solemnly as she wrapped the towel around the back of her neck.  
>"I'll talk to him this afternoon."<br>_

_Feeling refreshed and energized after a hot shower, Casey took the elevator to Level 15-23 and walked down the long hall towards her Handler, Phillip Greenwood's office._

_She'd been working for the Agency for two and a half years now and she knew she was ready to start field work. She'd aced all of her exams and was top in her class for training exercises. It was about time Phil put her out on the field._

_ As Casey was reciting her speech in her head that she planned to giver her handler, she suddenly bumped into what felt like a wall. She stumbled back a bit and was met face to chest with none other than Colonel Jaquin Kluess himself._

_ "I am so sorry, sir!" Casey gasped out as she stared up at his large frame._

_ "You must be Agent McDonald." The man said with a smile._

_ Casey was surprised that he knew who she was. In the last two and a half years she'd only ever seen him from a distance but never spoke to him in person._

_ "I... Uh... Yes, Sir. It is an honour to make your acquaintance." Casey smiled as she shook his strong hand._

_ "You as well." Kluess grinned. "I've heard many great things about you."_

_ Casey's eyes widened in surprise as he let go of her hand and it dropped to her side. "You have?"_

_ He chuckled, "Yes, you're a very gifted young woman and I can't wait to start working with you."_

_ Casey blushed, "Thank you, sir."_

_ "In fact, I would like you on the next mission. I've already spoken to your handler and he believes that you are ready."_

_ Casey wanted to scream and jump up and down with excitement but she contained herself in front of her boss and only smiled widely. _

_ "Tomorrow, eight AM, you will be debriefed in the Mission Room."_

_ "Thank you, Sir!" Casey exclaimed as she shook his hand once again._

_ "I hope to be impressed." He smiled as he waved goodbye and continued walking down the rest of the hall, towards his office._

"_I just ran into our boss in the hallway..." Casey said as she entered Phillip's office and closed the door. "When exactly were you planning on telling me the most Amazing news ever?" She glared at her handler, who sat perched at his desk, typing away on the computer._

_ "I was just about to call you." Phil said with a surprised grin on his face as he looked up at her. "So you talked to the head hauncho yourself?" He grinned._

_ Casey nodded, "Yes and he even knew who I was!"_

_ "Well he's heard a lot of good things about you." Phil winked with a smirk._

"_You're welcome by the way."_

_ "Thank you, Phil. You have no idea how long I have been waiting for this." Casey gushed as she clasped her hands together._

_ "Trust me, I do. You've been saying you were ready for field work since the first month you started." Phil chuckled._

_ Casey laughed, "I can't help it if I'm eager."_

_ "Well congrats, Casey. You're going to do great."_

_ "And I owe most of it to a great handler." Casey smiled._

_ "That you do."_

_ Just then Phil's cell phone began ringing on the top of his desk. He held up a finger to Casey, indicating he needed a minute and answered the phone._

_ "Greenwood."_

_ Casey watched him with confusion as his face suddenly hardened and his eyes darted urgently up at her. He wanted her to leave._

_ Casey nodded hesitantly before walking out of his office with a wave of her hand._

_(=)_

_Earls Restaurant _

_East side Kingston_

_7:11 PM _

"_You seem more excited than usual." Derek stated as he and Casey met up for their weekly dinner. "Anything new happen at work?"_

_ Casey couldn't help the permanent smile on her face as she replied, "I guess you could say that I got promoted today."_

_ Derek's eyes widened and then he grinned, "Well I guess we can consider this dinner a celebration. Cheers, Space Case." He said as he lifted his glass of rootbeer and clinked it with her iced tea._

_ "Thanks, Derek." Casey blushed._

_ "So what exactly does a... economics researcher get promoted to?"_

_ "Um... Well... I get my own office and I... get to work on more advanced research topics."_

_ "Such as?"_

_ "I... don't exactly know yet. I get debriefed in the morning."_

_ "Yeah... no offence but your job still sounds pretty lame." Derek shrugged as he twirled some pasta onto his fork and stuck it in his mouth._

_ Casey grinned. _If only he knew.

_"At least _I _have a real job, Derek."_

_ "I only work at the coffee shop until my real career rolls in, which won't be too long now. Coach says I'm bound to be noticed by a Scout in the next game. Then it's off to the big leagues, baby."_

_ Casey rolled her eyes, "I was talking about hockey."_

_ Derek's eyes widened in shock and then he glared at her as he pointed his fork covered in pasta sauce at her, "Don't even go there, McDonald! Once I'm in the pros, I'll be making more money than you've ever had."_

_ Casey sighed, "Whatever, Derek. I'm just saying that you can do other things besides hockey."_

_ "Like what?" He scowled._

_ "Well like film making for one. You're really talented in that area."_

_ "Film making is cool and all but my passion is on the ice and that's where it's going to stay, so stop being such a hypocrite, and mind your business."_

_ Now Casey was offended as her face turned red with anger, "Excuse me? Why am I a hypocrite?"_

_ Derek set down his fork and stared into her eyes with a fierce look, "Because, Casey, you're one of the smartest people I know, you could do anything you wanted and yet you choose to work at some research place downtown... _You_ could do better. In fact, I always pictured you becoming a big time lawyer or a doctor or something huge like that..."_

_ Casey frowned. It was times like these that she wished she could reveal her secret; that she could tell Derek and the rest of her family what she really did for a living._

"Hey, Guess what, Derek? I'm a secret government spy! How do you like them apples?"

_But she couldn't. She was sworn to secrecy and it had to stay that way. Besides, like Derek, or anyone she knew, would actually believe that she, Casey McDonald -aka Klutzilla and geek galore- could ever be a secret spy. It was ludicrous. Even she had a hard time believing it on occasion._

_ Casey looked up at Derek with guilt in her eyes. This was the first time they'd fought in a while and she hated it. Of course they still had their arguments but they weren't like this._

_ "I'm sorry, Derek. I had no right trying to tell you how to live your life. Hockey is your dream, I get that." Casey apologized. "And it may not make sense to you, but what I'm doing... it's my dream as well. I enjoy my job very much and I am proud to be working for R.E.D."_

_ Derek didn't reply as he pushed around the pasta on his plate with his fork, averting her gaze._

_ Casey let out a sigh as she stood up and took out a twenty dollar bill from her purse and set it on the table, "I need to get home now. I have a busy day ahead of me and need my rest. Good night, Derek." She said and then left the restaurant, as well as a very remorseful stepbrother behind. _

(=)

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_7:58 PM_

_The next day revealed a very anxious and excited Casey McDonald as she entered the Mission Room for the first time after two and a half years. It was even better than she imagined. _

_ Colonel Kluess stood at the head of the large rectangular table in the middle of the room speaking to Benjamin Blake, whom Casey had spoken to quite a bit over the years. She still couldn't help but find him immensely attractive as she stared at him across the room._

_ Ben must have felt her gaze on him because he suddenly turned in her direction and winked with a smile on his handsome face. Casey blushed and quickly took a seat at the table, trying to hide her embarrassment._

_ "Hey, Partner, I'm glad to finally see you in this room." Ben said with a grin as he took a seat beside her and nudged her with his elbow._

_ "Partner?" Casey raised a curious brow as she looked at him._

_ Before Ben could explain, Casey felt another presence sit down on the other side of her and turned to see Phil with his usual smirk on his face._

_ "Good morning, Agent McDonald." Phil greeted. "You ready for your first Mission Room debriefing?"_

_ "As ready as I'll ever be." Casey breathed out._

_ "Shall we begin?" Kluess suddenly spoke up from the front of the room as the door closed and the lights dimmed._

_ Casey glanced around the table and recognized most of the faces seated before her. Mason Marz, who was head of the technology department and quite the genius, was seated directly across from her. He had short black hair, brown eyes with wire-rimmed glasses over top and a gentle personality about him. Seated to the right of Marz was Starla Breims, who Casey recognized as one of the top female field agents in the agency. She was beyond attractive with deep set amber eyes, strawberry blonde hair, and a figure Casey could only dream of. Starla's partner and fiancé, Kyle Larson, was seated on the other side of her. He had dark blue eyes, jet black hair, and a firm set jaw but Casey didn't find him nearly as handsome as Benjamin, or even Derek for that matter. _

_The only person that Casey did not know was a chubby man with greying brown hair and piercing hazel eyes who was seated in the chair closest to the Colonel's at the head of the table. The man glanced at Casey and she smiled in return but he only frowned and turned away._

He seems pleasant. _Casey thought with sarcasm as she let out a sigh._

_ "I would like to begin this meeting by welcoming Agent Casey McDonald to the team." Colonel Kluess spoke as he gestured towards Casey with a smile. "Agent McDonald will be partnered up with Agent Blake, whom I know will work great together."_

_ Casey's eyes widened in surprise as she glanced at Ben smirking beside her. _

Well I guess that explains the "Hey, Partner" comment.

"_And I am sure you already know most of us here, Agent McDonald, so there's no need for introductions." Kluess said as he took a seat. _

_ Casey nodded with a smile._

_ "Good, now I would like to introduce Agent Richmond Carlson from the NSA." Said Kluess, gesturing towards the man beside him. "Agent Carlson is here because an urgent matter has arisen at the NSA headquarters in Los Angeles and he fears it could be growing. I'll let Agent Carlson explain further." _

_ Agent Carlson stood up and dipped his head, "Thank you, Colonel." He then pressed a button on a remote that was handed to him by Marz and a large screen began to descend from the ceiling and stopped just above Kluess' head. "If you'll look at the screen, it will help demonstrate what we may be up against."_

_ Casey, as well as everyone else, watched as a test tube filled with red liquid appeared on the screen and Carlson began to speak._

_ "What you are looking at now is a sample taken from NSA headquarters of what we've deemed: "Potion X". It was found in one of the labs after what we thought was an accident had occurred, where twelve of our best men and women were infected and have been hospitalized until further notice. They have been rendered speechless and their skin has turned red. After an extensive investigation, we came to the conclusion that our agents were being targeted and that Potion X was the cause."_

_ "Where do you think Potion X could have come from, Agent Carlson?" Starla asked._

_ "We don't know yet but it couldn't have come from the outside. Only Agents and strictly qualified people are allowed into the NSA headquarters, which means it had to be someone on the inside."_

_ "Why do you believe that NSA wasn't the only threat caused by Potion X?" Ben spoke up._

_ "Because we received a message the other day from an unknown and untraceable source." Agent Carlson said as he gestured towards the screen again where a message written in red was being displayed._

**NSA WAS JUST THE BEGINNING. MY LITTLE FRIEND WILL SOON SPREAD AND THERE WILL BE NO ONE LEFT TO STOP IT. GOODBYE SPIES. HELLO WORLD.**

"_How did the message get past security codes?" Mason Marz asked with wide eyes. "Couldn't you track it down?"_

_ "Trust me, we tried everything we could think of. We don't know how they did it."_

_ "Could I get a copy of that, if you don't mind?" Mason asked._

_ "Of course." Carlson nodded._

_ Casey cleared her throat as she silently raised her hand._

_ Kluess chuckled, "This isn't a schoolhouse, McDonald. There's no need to raise your hand if you have a question."_

_ Casey's cheeks turned red as she quickly brought her hand down to rest in her lap. _

"_Oh... sorry."_

_ "That's alright. What's on your mind, Agent?"_

_ "Well... I was just wondering... What do you think the intentions are behind this message and releasing the chemical on only twelve NSA agents?" Casey asked as she looked at Carlson._

_ "That's what we are going to find out." Carlson answered as he took his seat and Kluess proceeded to stand in his place._

_ "We received an anonymous call the other day about a warehouse on the south side that seems to be housing large amounts of the deadly red chemical, and a man with no identification was admitted into the hospital the other day appearing to have the same symptoms as the NSA agents. _

"_Agents Breims and Larson," Kluess turned to the two field agents of eight years, "I want you at that warehouse within the next two hours and report back to me when you've found anything. Mason will assist you with the right gear before you leave." _

"_Yes, Sir." Both Starla Breims and Kyle Larson nodded as they stood up and left the room._

"_Uh... you can just send the link to my computer." Mason Marz said to Agent Carlson as he stood up and followed the couple out of the room._

"_Agents Blake and McDonald, I need you on assignment to the hospital to see if you can discover any new information about Potion X and its symptoms."_

_Casey and Ben both nodded as they stood up._

"_Thank you, Sir." Casey smiled._

"_Go get 'em, Tiger." Phil whispered with a grin as Casey followed her new partner, Benjamin Blake out the door, eager to get to work on her first field case._

(=)

Present Time.

Chei Bistro Restaurant

Downtown Toronto

7:55 PM

Casey parked her black Mercedes Benz outside of the restaurant and turned off the ignition. Why Phil wanted to meet her here was beyond her, but Casey was relieved it was a public place.

She hesitated while sitting in her car as people walked in and out of the Bistro. Did he want her to go inside? He hadn't specified... Casey stared at the flashing neon sign above the building with the restaurant name and logo beaming for all to see and let out a sigh.

_Maybe I should just call Ben? _She speculated as she grabbed her cell from her purse.

Before Casey could make the final decision of dialling her partner's number, there was a knock on the passenger side window. She looked up and felt like she was actually seeing a ghost as the face of Phillip Greenwood grinned back at her.

Phil motioned for her to unlock the door and Casey, still in shock, obeyed his request.

"You look good, Casey." Phil turned to her with a smile after opening her car door and taking a seat beside her.

"And you look... alive." Casey replied warily, avoiding meeting his un-dead gaze.

Phil chuckled, a sound that reminded Casey of the good ol' days when Phil was just her handler as well as a friend.

"I know you've got a lot of questions right now, but first I need to ask you a favour?" He said, his voice taking on a serious tone.

"And what makes you think I would do anything for you?" Casey scowled.

"Because like I said, I know everything about you, Casey, including your love and devotion to your blended family." He sneered.

"I could kill you right now, Phil, you know I can." Casey threatened as she pierced through his gaze with hated.

Phil shrugged, "Wouldn't be the first time I've died."

"What do you want with me?" Casey snapped bitterly.

"Casey, you have to know that none of what happened was my doing. I was forced to comply with their demands."

"Whose demands?"

Phil avoided her eyes, "I can't say."

"You really expect me to believe you? After everything you did?" Casey raised her voice.

"Look, I know you hate me right now and you have every right to, but you're the only person I trust and I need your help."

"You're threatening me with my family and you expect me to _help _you?" She gave him a disgusted look.

"It's the only way I'll know for sure that you will do as I say."

Casey let out a groan as she banged her fist against the steering wheel and glared his way, "What is it that you desperately need me to do?"

Phil let out a sigh of relief at her cooperation, "Thank you, Casey."

"Just get on with it. I'm not doing this for you."

"Right," he nodded. "Well first off, you need to promise not to tell a soul about any of this. No one can know that I'm still alive. You got it?"

Casey nodded.

"That means your partner too." He narrowed his eyes at her. "I know you almost called him tonight. That can never happen again. This is serious business and I only trust _you_ and you alone."

Casey nodded again but inside she was screaming with rage.

_How can he do this to me? He wants me to lie to my colleagues and friends? _

"Now, just to show you how serious I am," he said as he pulled out a laptop from his bag, "I'd like you to watch a little something."

Phil clicked on the screen and turned the computer to face Casey. A horrified gasp escaped her mouth as four different live video feeds displayed images of her family. One was of Marti and Simon playing at the park together, another was Edwin struggling with his studies at the library, the third one showed her mother and George out grocery shopping together while holding hands, and the last one revealed Lizzie at a soccer game in London, England. The only person missing from the screen was Derek.

"You creep!" Casey spat at Phil as he shut the laptop and placed it back in his bag.

"I need your word, Casey, that you will help me at any cost." Phil said, ignoring her loathing gaze directed at him.

Casey wanted to call up the Colonel now and have Phillip put away for life but she knew she couldn't do that. He was watching her family for goodness sakes. He really did intend to harm them if anything went wrong.

_How did my life end up so complicated? _She thought to herself. _I have to do this for the family. _She finally concluded. _I chose this life for myself, and I will do whatever it takes to survive it and protect those I love._

"Well...?" Phil persisted impatiently.

"I'll do it." Casey responded, the words leaving her lips made her want to vomit.

"I knew we could come to an understanding." Phil grinned.

"What is the favour?" Casey ground out through clenched teeth as she forced her eager fists to stay at her sides, while inwardly wanting to smash them in his face.

"Take this phone," he said as he tossed her a petite black cell phone. "It's a private line. No one can trace it. This is how I will contact you from now on."

Casey gripped the phone in her hand and stared ahead.

"Tomorrow, I will call you on that phone and give you instructions on what I need done." He said as he opened the passenger side door.

Casey spun to face him, "Are you serious? That's it?"

"It was great seeing you again, Casey, even though it's not on better terms." Phil said with a slight smile as he got out of the car. "Remember what I said. _No_ one can know." He repeated and closed the door before disappearing around the back of the restaurant, leaving a baffled and distraught secret agent behind.

* * *

><p><strong>I originally have the note that was written out from the bad guys in red color but fanfiction won't let me post it like that. It also had a different font that made it look pretty sweet. But oh well. <strong>

**Thanks for reading and I hope to read more of your wonderful reviews and answer some questions if you have any. It means a lot to know what you think of my story.**

**Oh and those who guessed Alias as my inspiration for CB, you are Correct! I watched all of the seasons on DVD last year and loved it! If you haven't watched the show, you should.**

**Enjoy the rest of your day!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews! Here is another chapter and it involves a new character as well. Let me know what you think of her.**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6<strong>

Casey's Apartment

6:45 AM

Casey grabbed her car keys from the kitchen table, where she'd mistakenly tossed them last night before hurrying off to the comfort and privacy of her bedroom. Unfortunately, she ended up getting only two hours of sleep due to her distressed state. The whole night she kept wondering when Phil was going to call her, what he wanted her to do for him, and if her family was alright. It all seemed like a dream but the little black phone in her hand proved otherwise.

"Hey, Case, how was your meeting last night?" Derek's voice suddenly spoke up from behind her.

Casey spun around with a startled heart and glared at him, "Would you quit sneaking up on me all the time?"

"Whoa, someone's having a bad morning." Derek mused with raised hands in surrender. "I'm guessing your meeting wasn't so great after all...?"

Casey groaned. _That's an understatement._

"Well how about I treat you to some breakfast to cheer you up?" Derek smiled as he nudged her arm playfully.

Casey shook her head with a frown, "Sorry, D, but I have to get to work."

"Awe, come on, Princess, can't your research wait a couple of hours?" He whined as he put an arm around her shoulders. "You work too much and I say that you need a break. It's not like you're saving the world or anything." He chuckled.

Casey snorted. _You have no idea..._

"Derek, I'd really love to get breakfast with you this morning but if I don't leave now, my boss will kill me."

He removed his arm from around her shoulder and nodded his head with a look of grief, "Alright, fine, I know your job is important to you."

"Just as hockey is important to you." She pointed out.

"Which reminds me, I have to leave tomorrow for a big game in Boston, so tonight is your last chance to get any Derek time." He wiggled his brows at her.

Casey laughed, "I promise, right when I get home, you and I will go out for dinner."

"Is that a sincere promise or a 'if work doesn't get in the way' promise?"

Casey sighed, "I'll do my best, Derek."

He nodded his head in understanding, "That's all I ask."

Casey smiled at him before ruffling his shaggy brown hair and opening the front door.

"See you tonight." She waved.

"I'll be waiting." Derek waved back.

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

7:50 AM

Casey stood still in the elevator as the red beam lit up the small enclosure and Chip scanned her body.

"Good morning, Agent McDonald." Chip spoke. "Your vitals inform me that you are anxious."

Not only was Chip a security system but it was also a mood and lie detector as well.

Casey let out a sigh, "I didn't get enough sleep last night, Chip." Which wasn't a lie.

"Because you are distraught, Agent McDonald."

Casey didn't reply. She was afraid of saying anything else in case Chip would figure that she was hiding something.

"You are fearful." Chip's voice continued analysing her.

"I am fine, Chip. Can I please get to work now? You know how I hate being late."

"As you wish, Agent McDonald." Chip complied and the doors opened up.

Casey let out a breath of relief as she hurried out of the elevator and walked calmly towards her office, even though on the inside she was battling paranoia.

_What if they find out? I can't lie to them. They'll see right through me. _Casey thought to herself as she took a seat in her desk chair and swivelled it away from the door.

_You need to stay calm, Casey. Think of your family. _

Casey pulled out her cell phone and quickly dialled her parent's number. She needed to know that they were okay.

_Please pick up, please... _

The phone rang a couple of times before a small voice answered it.

"Hello? My name is Simon. Who are you?"

Casey smiled at the sound of her baby brother's voice.

"Hi, Simon, it's Casey."

"Casey!" He shouted excitedly. "Are you coming to visit?"

"Not right now, buddy, but I promise I will soon."

"We miss you lots, and Derek too."

"I miss you more than ever. How is everyone at home?"

"Fine, I guess. Lizzie is coming home soon from Europian!"

Casey giggled, "Its pronounced Europe, Simon." She corrected.

"Oh. Well I have to get ready for school now. My class is going on a felid trip to the space museum!" The six-year-old shouted.

"Exciting! I guess I'll talk to you later then. Have fun."

"Bye, Casey." Simon said before hanging up.

Casey pressed the end call button on her phone and dropped her head in her hands. She was relieved to know that her family was fine, for now at least.

"Hey, Partner, you get enough sleep last night?" A familiar voice said from behind her.

Casey turned to see Ben standing in her doorway looking as handsome and rugged as ever. She gasped when she noticed the sling holding his left arm in place.

"Ben!" She exclaimed as she stood up with a guilty face. "I am so sorry that happened to you. I wanted to come visit you last night but..."

Ben cut her off as he held up his good arm with a smile, "Its fine, Casey. You'd had a hard day as well. I was the one that wanted to visit _you_ and make sure _you_ were alright."

"You were shot! I just got tranquilized by my own gun." She frowned.

"You were out for a long time. I was worried Haldega had done something more to you."

Casey blushed, "Thanks for your sympathy but I really am fine."

"Good, then I guess we should get to the mission room before the Colonel has our heads." He smirked as he held the door open for her and waited for her to walk through before following.

_Ben is such a gentleman; a real knight in shining armour. He will definitely make some girl real happy in the future. _Casey thought to herself as she and her partner/friend made their way down the hall and inside the mission room.

"Ah, our top spies have finally arrived." Colonel Kluess spoke as Casey and Ben took their seats at the rectangular table, among Mason Marz and a new agent that Casey hadn't had the privilege to meet. She had long, bright blonde hair, blue-green eyes, and looked to be a couple years younger than Casey. She smiled when she felt Casey's eyes on her and Casey returned it.

"How's the arm, Blake?" The Colonel asked Ben with genuine concern.

"Not painful enough to keep me at home." Ben replied with a grin.

"That's what I like to hear." The Colonel beamed as he took his seat at the head of the table. "You two did well yesterday. Haldega isn't an easy target to catch but we _will_ get him." Their boss assured them as he made eye contact with Casey, knowing she still felt guilty for letting the enemy get the best of her.

"I've heard that he was spotted in the U.S. and that he is making plans to meet up with a new buyer for his company, which brings me to our next assignment." He said as he clicked a button on the keypad in front of him and a holographic image of a middle-aged man with greying black hair, a pudgy figure, and glasses was displayed in the middle of the large table.

"This is Steven Reynolds. He is the founder of an underground manufacturing company in Boston. His latest development is the QT7 microchip. We still have no idea what exactly it does but we do know it's a dangerous device when in the wrong hands and that Haldega is after it for a particular reason. Reynolds has no idea who he is dealing with."

"Do you know when and where the drop is supposed to take place?" Ben asked from his seat beside Casey.

The Colonel shook his head, "Not yet, but it will most likely be somewhere heavily populated where they can go unnoticed to the passerby's. Haldega will want this done immediately since he knows we're on his tail, so I'm guessing in the next couple of days they'll meet."

A thought occurred to Casey as her eyes widened, "I think I might have an idea of where they will do it."

"Go on, Agent McDonald." Colonel Kluess raised a curious brow.

"There's a hockey game happening in Boston the day after tomorrow. It will be full of noisy fans that will be too busy watching the game on ice to even notice Haldega and Reynolds making an exchange."

"You a hockey fan, Agent?"

Casey shook her head, "Not really. I just grew up around it."

"Well it sounds like a logical place to me." Her boss nodded. "Good work, McDonald. In two days, you and your partner will most likely be attending a hockey game in Boston."

Casey smiled, happy that her boss was impressed with her. _Thank you, Derek. _She thought to herself. Suddenly that smile was replaced with a grimace.

"Oh no." Casey muttered under her breath, loud enough that Ben heard and gave her a concerned look.

"What's wrong?" Her partner whispered as Colonel Kluess continued talking about the assignment.

"Derek..." Casey's face paled as she stared down at the marble table.

"Derek what?"

"That's Derek's game we might have to attend if Haldega chooses it as his meeting place, which is most probable."

Ben nodded in understanding, "If it is, I'm sure he will be too busy to even notice you there. It's a big place with thousands of screaming fans and hockey nuts, not to mention his mind will be set entirely on the game. It's highly unlikely he'll even know you're there."

Casey let out a breath, "I guess..."

"Are you two finished whispering to each other?" The Colonel's voice barked and Casey looked to up the see everyone watching them.

_Crap!_

"Sorry, Sir." Ben apologized.

"Is everything alright, McDonald?" Her boss raised a brow as he stared into her eyes.

Casey nodded, "Yes, Sir."

"Good," he said as he turned his attention away from her and to the agent sitting across from them. "Now that everyone is paying attention, I'd like to introduce our newest agent: Karma Hesston."

The young blonde smiled with a nod of her head.

"Agent Hesston has been in training for two years now and her work has been outstanding. Unfortunately her handler was injured in his last mission, so I am re-assigning her to one of the best agents I know," Kluess said as he smiled at Casey. "Agent McDonald, meet your new trainee."

"Seriously?" Casey gasped.

"Agent Blake can assist you as well, considering I'd like Hesston tagging along on all your missions starting now."

Casey was thrilled about being assigned as a handler, but a part of her was angry at the Colonel for not giving her a heads up. Everyone knew how much she hated surprises.

"I will let the three of you become acquainted." Kluess said with a wink Casey's way and stood up. "Agent Hesston has already been debriefed on everything she needs to know about the case."

Casey cleared her throat, "Um, Sir, could I have a moment?" She asked as she followed his lead.

Kluess nodded, making his way out the door.

Casey shot Ben a look, telling him she'd be back before disappearing out the door of the Mission Room and into Kluess' office right beside it.

"I know, I know," Kluess began speaking before Casey could open her mouth, "you hate surprises and I should have let out know about this ahead of time."

"I'm honoured that you chose me, Sir, but why now? The Haldega case is already stressful enough. Now I have to take a trainee under my wing as well?" Casey frowned.

"She has a lot of potential and has a high IQ. She'd be a great asset to the team."

"I'm sure she would, Sir, but I hardly know this girl, and Ben and I have been working strong together as a team for four years. It just feels odd that there will be three of us now..."

Colonel Kluess raised a suspicious brow at her as he lowered his voice, "Is there something going on between you and your partner?"

"What?" Casey's eyes widened as she shook her head profusely, "No, Sir! Ben and I... I mean Agent Blake and I have become good friends over the years working together but that's it. There are no romantic feelings between us. It's strictly platonic."

Kluess chuckled, "There's no need to get so frazzled about it, McDonald. I have no problem with you and Blake being a couple. Most agents of the opposite sex who have worked together for so long usually do end up being more than just partners. It's natural."

"Even so, Sir, I can assure you that there is nothing going on between Ben and me."

Colonel Kluess nodded as he rounded his desk and took a seat in the black swivel chair behind it, "So then... what were the two of you whispering about earlier while I was speaking?" He smirked.

Casey sighed, "It was nothing like that. I was just worried about the hockey game in Boston. My stepbrother's team is playing that day."

The large man's eyes widened with interest, "Will that be a problem for you, Agent McDonald?"

Casey shook her head, "No, Sir. It's a big place and he will be too focussed on the game to even notice I'm there."

"Good, we can't have any personal business going on in this mission. You are there to work, so make sure you are unseen at all times. We can't afford for your brother to get involved."

"Stepbrother, Sir." Casey corrected out of habit.

"Same difference." Kluess waved off with his hand before looking back up at her. "Do you have any other concerns you'd like to discuss before I call my wife?"

"No, Sir."

"Then get out of here and get to know Agent Hesston."

"Yes, Sir." Casey nodded and made her way out of her boss's office.

Casey approached Ben's office when she noticed that he and Agent Hesston weren't in the Mission room any longer. She heard laughing coming from inside the room and opened the door to see Ben sitting on the top of the desk with his legs hanging over the edge while Karma stood across from him. They both had smiles on their faces.

"Hey, Casey," Ben greeted her as soon as she walked in the room. "Karma and I were just getting to know each other."

"I can see that." Casey smiled as she eyed up the young agent. "Hi, I'm Casey McDonald."

Karma grinned widely as she shook Casey's hand, "I know. I am so honoured to have the pleasure of working in your company and training under you, Agent McDonald. You've been like a role model to me since I joined R. E.D."

Casey blushed. She hadn't expected that.

"Karma was just telling me about how she's always wanted to be an outstanding Agent such as you." Ben winked at Casey, knowing how upset she'd been about the whole thing.

Casey cleared her throat at a loss for words, "Um... thanks..."

"No, thank you, Agent McDonald; you have no idea how much this means to me." The girl beamed with joy.

"You can call me Casey." Casey smiled, feeling a little overwhelmed with the star struck look in the young agent's eyes.

"So, Agent... I mean Casey, what would you like me to do first?" Karma asked eager to begin her training.

"Well..." Casey thought about it as she looked at Ben for assistance.

"How much do you know about this case, Karma?" Ben spoke up.

"It mainly involves a man named Greggor Haldega, the founder of Haldega Technology. He owns three major corporations. One in France, one in L.A. and one right here in Toronto. He is known for making millions of money and doing it by any means possible. The CIA and everyone else has been after him for years but no one's even gotten close enough to see his face; that is until you did," she said turning to Casey. "Yesterday afternoon, you were attacked by Haldega in the mountains of British Columbia and knocked unconscious by your tranquilizer gun before he escaped. I'm sure you put up a good fight nonetheless though." She smiled reassuringly at her new handler and hero.

"I wish _I_ had been shot by a traq dart." Ben scoffed as he stared down at his damaged shoulder.

Casey and Karma laughed.

"You're still a brave agent, Honey pot." Casey cooed as she pinched his cheek.

"Honey Pot?" Karma raised an amused brow.

"His code name." Casey giggled. "For when we're out on the field."

"I still hate that name." Ben grumbled.

"But it's just so cute." Casey teased.

"How did you get stuck with that name?" Karma asked.

Casey grinned, "I gave it to him. When we became partners, we decided to choose each other's code name."

"Yeah, I chose Bluebird for Casey because of her blue eyes and free spirit..." Ben spoke.

"And I chose honey pot because Winnie The Pooh was too long to say." Casey laughed once again at the confused look on Karma's face. "You had to be there."

"So do I get a code name?" The young agent suddenly asked with excitement.

Ben and Casey exchanged a glance.

"Sure." Ben shrugged as he pulled his computer onto his lap and began typing on it. "How about..." He paused, reading something. His eyes then lit up and he smiled. "Rainforest."

"Rainforest?" Casey inquired.

Karma let out a shriek, "It's perfect! How did you know I like rain forests?"

"I just read it in your file." He smirked.

"Cheater." Casey rolled her eyes.

Ben ignored her as he stared at Karma in fascination, "So did you really live in a rain forest for six years?"

Karma nodded, "Yeah, my parents were missionaries in a small village located outside of Brazil."

"Were?" Casey asked, noticing the color fade from Karma's face at the mention of her family.

Karma nodded sadly, "Yes, they were killed when I was fifteen in a boating accident while on their way to the island of Papua New Guinea."

"I'm so sorry to hear that." Casey sympathized as she touched the young woman's arm reassuringly.

"Thanks."

"Uh... are you sure you don't want another code name...? I didn't realize it would be extremely personal, especially since you last saw your parents while living in a rainforest..." Ben said, looking guilty.

"No," Karma shook her head with a smile. "It's the fact that it reminds me of my parents that I like it."

"Ok then, welcome to the team, Rainforest."

The smile on Casey's face was suddenly down-turned when she felt the phone in her right pocket begin to vibrate. One thought crossed her mind: _Phil._

(=)

"Hello?" Casey answered the small black phone in a whisper after excusing herself from Ben and Karma and entering the ladies room, making sure to lock the door behind her.

"I didn't interrupt anything important, did I?" Phillip's deep voice asked on the other end of the line as he chuckled.

"Just tell me what you want me to do!" Casey snapped bitterly.

"Someone's impatient." Phil commented. Casey could picture him grinning. "Well, little Bluebird, first I would like you to fly to the file room and retrieve my file folder for me."

Casey groaned, "I can't just walk in there and take a classified file. Chip would notice it missing in an instant."

"That's why you take it and photocopy it, and then return the original back to its home in a drawer."

"And what if someone wonders why I'm taking your file?"

"You're the brainchild, here, figure it out."

"You know I can't lie, Phil." Casey growled.

"You do it all the time on assignments."

"Yeah, but that's more like acting. I'm a different person with a whole new identity when on the field. This is _real_ life with _real_ people that I associate with _everyday_."

"Then pretend you're on field assignment, which technically you are since I am assigning you a task."

Casey shook her head in frustration as she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

_What am I doing? I'm taking orders from Phillip Greenewood, the supposed dead ex-agent! I should just march right into the Colonel's office and tell him everything, then we could put agents on watch over each of my family members and finally arrest Phil for the slime he is!_

"You have an hour, Casey, and then I want those copies sent to me immediately." Phil's stern voice spoke over her thoughts. "And don't even think about trying anything stupid or the first person to be hurt will be your soccer playing sister in England." He threatened before the line went dead.

Casey gripped the phone in her hand and almost smashed it against the mirror, shattering the frightened betrayer staring back at her.

* * *

><p><strong>Reviews really help me along in my writing. They give me inspiration and the motivation to keep writing more chapters, so please review if you like what you're reading. I'll update the next chapter as soon as I get at least ten reviews. The longer the better. :D<strong>

**Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Thanks for reading and Reviewing! I didn't get as many reviews as I'd hoped for but I still wanted to upload because I enjoy writing this story and sharing it with you.**

**This is another flashback chapter. Let me know if you liked it or not...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

_Four Years Ago_

_Garrison Hospital_

_South side Kingston_

_12:36 PM_

"_So... Partner..." Benjamin Blake smiled as he turned in the driver's side seat to look at Casey after parking outside of the hospital and turning off the ignition._

_ Casey's face turned beat red as she stared into his emerald green eyes. His attractiveness was almost too much for her to bear. A part of her wanted to lean forward and touch her lips to his and another part of her scolded her mind for even thinking such thoughts. This very, very attractive man was now her partner and she couldn't be having any romantic feelings for him. This was a strictly business relationship and it was to stay that way._

_ "Yes... Partner...?" She smiled back, trying not to sound so flirtatious but she knew it did. Soon she would be giggling like a little school girl._

Control your emotions, McDonald!

_ "You ready for your first real field assignment?" He grinned as a stray piece of blonde hair fell in front of his eye._

_ "Mmhm." Was all Casey could say as she forced herself to look away from his sexy everything and focus her eyes on the dashboard in front of her._

_ "First, I think we should come up with some code names." Ben suggested._

_ Casey nodded. She remembered Phil teaching her about every spy needing a code name in case their cover was blown. _

_ "How about you think of one for me and I'll think of one for you." His grin widened like a ten-year-old boy excited about the new video game on sale._

_ Casey couldn't help but meet his eyes once again as she nodded her head._

_ "Ok..." Ben said as he pressed his forefinger against his chin in deep thought. A smile formed on his face as he looked at her. "Your eyes are really blue." He suddenly commented making the blush on Casey's cheeks intensify._

_ "Thanks." _

_ "I think I'll call you Bluebird because not only are your eyes amazingly blue but I've seen you train and, girl, you can fly. You've got a really free spirit about you." _

_ Casey smiled, "I like it." _

_ "So... What do you got for me, _Bluebird_?" He raised a brow in apprehension._

_ "I..." Casey hesitated. She had no idea what to call him other than really, really sexy spy, which of course she would never say out loud. Her eyes wandered out the window in thought when she saw a nurse wearing _Winnie The Pooh_ scrubs walking past their car._

_ "Winnie The Pooh!" She spoke aloud, not even thinking it through._

_ "Winne The Pooh?" Ben's eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why?"_

_ "I... um... because your blonde hair reminds me of honey..." She stumbled over words, trying not to make herself sound stupid but failing miserably._

_ Ben frowned, "A fat, yellow bear is all you could come up with for my code name?"_

_"You don't like it?" Casey couldn't help but smirk at the disgusted and hurt look on his face._

_ "Are you messing with me?" He noticed her smirk and widened his eyes in surprise._

_ Casey laughed, "Sorry but I'm really not good at this whole code name thing, so the fat yellow bear is my only suggestion."_

_ "If the other agents hear you calling me that, I will be the laughing stock of R.E.D. Plus it's too long to say." Ben pouted, sticking his bottom lip out and making his gorgeous green eyes all big and cute._

_ Casey sighed, giving in to his puppy dog face, "Fine... How about... Honey pot!"_

_ "Still lame." He deadpanned._

_ "Take it or leave it," Casey shrugged, "because we need to get to work."_

_ "You will so pay for this." He glowered as he opened his door and got out of the car._

_ Casey smiled triumphantly. _Wow! Ben gave in so easily! With Derek, we would have argued about it forever until I gave in and did what he wanted_. She thought with surprise._

"_Hi, my name is Jennifer Leque," Casey smiled through the wire rimmed glasses she wore as a disguise and the long blonde hair tied into a bun on her head. "This is my assistant, Jeffery Grey." She motioned to Benjamin standing beside her who was wearing a black wig on his head and a matching moustache. "We are from the Health and Emergency Awareness Agency and have been informed of a possible disease that turns the skin red..."_

_ The middle-aged doctor standing in front of them cleared his throat as he shook both of their hands, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Dr. Parson and I can assure you that we have everything under control here."_

_ "It is my job, Dr. Parson, to make sure that you do, so I would like to see the unfortunate patient for myself, if you don't mind."_

_ "I'm sorry; Ma'am, but only classified personnel can see the patient."_

_ Casey narrowed her eyes at the man as she took a menacing step towards him, "I work for the government, Dr. Parson. Would you like me to call the head of the H.E.A.A and inform them of your refusal to grant me access into your facility to do the job I was assigned to do?"_

_ The man's eyes widened and he shook his head, "No, Ma'am, of course not. Let me just call ahead and let the staff know you are on your way." He spoke nervously as he approached a phone on the wall and dialled a number._

_ "You sure this is your first time on field assignment?" Ben chuckled with amazement from her side._

_ "Was I too much?" Casey blushed._

_ "You were perfect, Bluebird." He grinned as he patted her back before the doctor hung up the phone and motioned for them to follow him._

_ They were led into a narrow hallway on the other side of the hospital and stopped in front of two large doors that read in large black letters: "CLASSIFED PERSONNEL_ _ONLY". The doctor entered a code into the security device at the side of the door and swiped his key card through it. The doors beeped and opened wide for them to enter._

_ "You will need to suit up and wear a mask. We don't believe the infection is contagious but we're not taking any chances." The doctor said as he gestured towards a wall of yellow disinfectant suits hanging up on hooks._

_ Casey and Benjamin nodded as they walked past the doctor and immediately began to change._

_ "Someone will be along soon to help you." Dr. Parson said before leaving the room and closing the doors behind him._

_ "Yellow's a good color on you." Ben winked with a smirk as Casey pulled on the heavy suit with a grunt._

_ Casey laughed as she took in Ben's appearance once he was fully dressed, "Now you really do resemble _Winnie The Pooh_."_

_ Ben frowned, "Shut it, Bluebird, or I'll change your name to something not so flattering." _

_ "Miss. Leque?" An East Indian woman in a similar yellow suit appeared in a doorway on the opposite side of the room. "I was told you wanted to inspect our patient."_

_ Casey nodded, "Yes, my partn... um... my assistant and I," Casey corrected, "are from the H.E.A.A."_

_ "I'm Dr. Sandra Sehrae," The woman said as she motioned for them to follow her through the door. "The patient is this way. I'm warning you though; it's not a pretty sight."_

_ "You ready for this?" Ben whispered in her ear as he and Casey followed Dr. Sehrae through the doorway and into a medium-sized room where one hospital bed sat in the middle._

_ "The Patient's name is Arthur Butlin. Apparently he works at the warehouses where his infected body was found. He must have accidentally stumbled upon the chemicals being stored there and grew curious." The doctor spoke with a grim expression._

_Casey held in a gasp as her eyes fell upon the infected man lying motionless in the bed. He was hooked up to machines and had tubes sticking out of his nose and mouth. His face was covered in what appeared to be a red, flaky rash, which she guessed covered the rest of his body hidden under a layer of blankets._

_ She took a step closer and realized the man's eyes had been sealed shut by a white glue-like substance. The most peculiar sight she'd ever seen. _

_ "What do you suppose that is...?" Casey asked, gesturing to the man's eyes._

_ The doctor sighed, "We honestly have no clue. We've tried everything to remove it but it's impossible. It won't come off."_

"_Have any new symptoms occurred?" Ben questioned._

_ Dr. Sehrae shook her head with a frown, "No. We have no idea what we are dealing with here. It's new and it's powerful. We've tried tests and experiments but all have failed. We just hope and pray that whatever it is, will wear off soon."_

_ Casey's gut twisted with sympathy as she stared down at the poor middle-aged man in the bed. The doctors had no idea that this same infection had also caused twelve NSA agents to be hospitalized as well. _

_ "My mom is a doctor." Ben said as he stood beside her. "I liked to read a lot growing up, which included her doctoral study books. If I wanted, I could have become a doctor." He shrugged. "Anyway though, I also have a photographic memory, so I have all the information from the books stored away in my pretty little head." He winked at her and Casey couldn't agree more about the pretty head part. "I know every kind of sickness, infection, disease, etc... You name it... But I've never seen anything like this." His frown deepened as he stared down at the red faced comatose stranger with perplexity._

_ Suddenly a voice came over their communication device that they wore in their ears from another channel. The connection was a bit fuzzy, so they only heard a couple words._

_ "Need... back up!" Casey recognized the voice belonging to Starla Breims._

_ She and Ben shared a brief but intense glance before they both began to make their way to the exit._

_ "I'm sorry, Dr. Sehrae. We have another appointment to get to. Thank you for your cooperation." Casey said over her shoulder to the confused doctor._

_ Both agents hastily stripped off the yellow suits, hung them up and hurried out the doors of the hospital and into their black Mercedes Benz waiting patiently in the parking lot for their arrival._

_ "Please... agent... down... Hurry." Starla's anxious voice spoke again._

_ "You remember where the Warehouse is that they were sent to?" Casey asked as she put on her seatbelt and Ben started up the car._

_ "Photographic memory, Bluebird," Ben smirked at her. "I remember. It's actually really close."_

_ "Back up is on the way." Casey sent a quick reply through her comms device as Ben sped out of the parking lot, towards the aid of their fellow agents._

(=)

_Courtlin Warehouse District_

_South Side Kingston_

_3:23 PM_

"_Do you see anything?" Ben's voice spoke through Casey's earpiece as she walked cautiously down the side of a large warehouse building with her tranquilizer gun extended._

_ "Not yet. You?" She replied._

_ She and her partner decided it would be best to split up since they had no idea which warehouse their fellow agents were in, so Ben took the left side of the building and Casey took the right._

_ "Just a couple of garbage cans... Wait! I just heard a noise!" He whispered frantically._

_ "I'm headed your way!" Casey said as she spun around and ran in the direction of her partner._

_ As Casey turned the corner, a figure suddenly darted past the building across from her and disappeared inside one of the doors._

_ "I just saw someone go into one of the buildings. I'm going to check it out."_

_"I think I hear someone... I'm going to keep heading south. Be careful, Bluebird."_

_ "You too, Honey Pot."_

_ Casey edged her way closer to the cement building and took a deep breath as she peeked through the open door. Her hands gripped the gun tightly when she saw a shadow moving inside the dark storage area._

_ "Freeze!" Casey shouted as she shoved the door fully open and stepped inside the room._

_ The figure cursed and took off running before Casey could even pull the trigger._

_ "I'm in pursuit of someone!" She shouted into the earpiece. "They're headed out the back way!"_

_ Casey didn't hear Ben's reply because she was suddenly knocked to the ground by another shadowed figure that seemed to appear out of nowhere. Pain shot through her entire body as she struggled to find her tranq gun. Before she could locate her weapon, a heavy pressure was applied to her chest forcing her back to the hard cement floor and knocking the breath out of her._

_ "Stay down, McDonald." A deep, slightly familiar voice commanded from above her and she realized that the pressure on her chest was a boot. "I don't want to hurt you, so don't make this harder than it already is."_

_ "Bluebird, can you hear me?" Ben's voice yelled through her earpiece._

_ Casey tried to make out the face of her attacker but before she could get a good look, the pressure was released from her chest and he was gone._

_ "Bluebird, where are you? Are you okay?" Ben continued to shout into the earpiece._

_ "I... I'm in a warehouse across from you." Casey responded in a raspy voice as she tried to regain the air in her lungs. Her head was dizzy and she was feeling nauseous._

_ "Are you alright? Why weren't you answering me?" He sounded concerned._

_ "I was... attacked. I'm fine though, just a bit... woozy." She coughed out._

_ "Did you get a look at the attackers?"_

_ "No," she shook her head with frustration. "It was too dark. They escaped before I could even comprehend what had happened."_

"_Well I got some good and bad news... I found our agents but they don't look too great. You better get over here quick and help me out. I've already called the agency, so they should be here soon."_

_ "I'm on my way." Casey said as she stood to her feet and grabbed her gun on the ground before heading in the direction of her fellow agents._

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

Downtown Kingston

5:07 PM

_Casey sat at the large rectangular table in the mission room and stared down at her fidgeting hands as she and Ben waited for the Colonel to enter the room after requesting they meet him there._

_ Ben had found Starla Breims and Kyle Larson at the back of one of the warehouses. When Casey arrived on the scene, Starla was sobbing over the unconscious form of her fiancé and speaking incoherent sentences that made no sense. It looked like Agent Larson had been infected with Potion X. He had the same red coloured skin and glued-shut eyes._

_ They knew the infection wasn't airborne, considering that none of them seemed to be falling under the same infectious spell, which was a major relief. However, now they were down one of their best agents and the other was in no condition to even think about work._

_ "I seem to recall assigning the two of you to the hospital this morning." Colonel Kluess' voice spoke as he entered the mission room and stood at the head of the table with a _furious expression on his face.

_"Y-yes, Sir, you did." Casey nodded hesitantly._

_ "Then how come you and your partner were at the Warehouses? I didn't assign that location to you did I?"_

_ "No, Sir, but we heard Agent Breim's call for back-up and..."_

_ "And you should have stayed where you were and let the agency take care of it!" He snapped coldly. _

_ "All due respect, Sir, but we thought we could be of assistance considering we were only a few blocks away." Ben spoke up._

_ "I don't care if the call came from the next building," Kluess boomed as he glared at the two agents. "This was your first field assignment as a team. The two of you could have been killed or infected with the same damn infection as Agent Larson, all because you failed to stick to your own damn assignment that was given to you!"_

_ Neither agent dared to comment as the man continued to speak in harsh tones._

_ "When I give an assignment, I expect it to be obeyed at all costs. Do I make myself clear, Agents?"_

_ Casey and Ben both nodded their heads with guilt. _

_ Kluess let out a deep sigh as he pinched the bridge of his nose and leaned forward with his hands resting on the table below him. His tone softened as he stared the two partners in the eyes and spoke, "Now listen, I understand the need to run to the aid of a man down. I'm not saying you were complete idiots today. Your hearts were in the right place but your minds weren't. You are exceptional agents from what I hear of your training but you need to make sure that this does _not_ happen again. I can't afford to lose more agents because of this damn Potion X."_

_ Casey and Ben nodded._

_ "We're very sorry, Sir." Casey said. _

_ "Good." He dipped his chin as he stood back up to the full height of 6'10. "Now get out of here and start doing some research on whatever you can think of to stop this madness before it goes any further."_

_ "Yes, Sir." They spoke simultaneously and fled the room before he decided to_ _give them another lecture on 'how to be good spies'._

(=)

_Casey's apartment Building_

_Near Queens University_

_7:46 PM_

"_Since you were so exhausted from work today and couldn't meet me for supper at a restaurant, I decided to bring the food to you, as well as my charming personality." Derek grinned as he walked into Casey's apartment with Chinese food in his hands._

_ Casey wasn't expecting him and let out a gasp as she sat up from her seat on the couch. _

_ "Der-ek! You can't just walk into my home like that!"_

_ "The door was open, which is really unsafe by the way." Her stepbrother said as he set the food on the dinging room table. "I know you're new at this whole 'living alone' thing but I expected better from you."_

_ Casey inwardly cursed. Her mind had been so busy processing her horrible day that she must have forgotten to close the door on her way inside._

_ "How did you even get in the building without buzzing my place?"_

_ "I waited for someone to open the door." He shrugged._

_ "Der-ek! That's breaking and entering."_

_ "Who said I broke anything?"_

_ Casey decided not to argue with him. She was too tired and way too sore._

_ "What's with the ice pack?" Derek asked as he approached her in the living room with a concerned look upon his face._

_ Another curse was elicited in her mind as Casey quickly removed the ice pack from her chest in an attempt to make up some kind of excuse._

_ "I... I um..."_

_ "Whoa! What happened to you?" Derek shouted as he took a seat next to her and stared at her chest with wide eyes._

_ Casey looked down and realized that she was wearing a tank top, which revealed the large bruise on her chest she'd received from the boot pressing her into the ground earlier that day. _

_ "Case, did someone do this to you?" Derek asked with an unreadable expression. He seemed angry and worried at the same time._

_ Casey covered herself up with the blanket she'd been using and stumbled for the right words._

_ "N-no... I just had a... an accident at work today. It's not a big deal. It'll heal in a couple of days." As well as the many other bruises covering her body._

_ "What kind of accident caused a bruise like that?"_

_ "A klutzilla one..." She smirked at him, hoping to make him laugh._

_ Instead of laughing, however, Derek's expression stayed the same as he leaned forward and placed a hand on her bare shoulder, causing a shiver to run through_

_Casey's body from his touch (which she promptly ignored), "Case, I know there's something you're not telling me... Is there a guy involved? Is he hurting you? I know we haven't had the best of a relationship over the years, but you do know that you can tell me anything, right? I do worry about you..."_

_ A stab of guilt hit Casey's stomach as she stared into his milk chocolate eyes. How she wished she could tell him what really happened, but the Agency forbade any outside people, other than a husband or wife, to know the real truth about R.E.D. It was a safety precaution that Casey swore to honour no matter what._

_ "Did Derek Venturi actually admit that he cares about his stepsister?" Casey grinned, trying to change the subject._

_ Derek blushed as he removed his hand from her shoulder and scratched the back of his neck, "I just... I want to know that you're okay?"_

_ Casey smiled a genuine up-turn of the lips, "I'm okay, Derek. It was just an accident. There is no abusive man in my life, and if there was, you'd be the first person to know."_

_ Before she could register what she was doing, Casey had leaned forward and kissed Derek on the cheek, causing both young adults to blush._

_ "Thanks for the Chinese." She said and made her way towards her room to change into a different shirt, reminding herself to be more careful in the future about locking her door and making sure to cover up her injuries from work when Derek was around._

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><p><strong>I have been really sick lately and even had to go to the hospital the other day. They ran tests, gave me prescriptions, etc and said that I have to stay home for 7 days, which sucks because I can't exactly afford to miss that much work, so your reviews would really help cheer me up a bit. <strong>

**Thanks for being so Awesome!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks for the reviews. I'm still feeling pretty rough but I wanted to upload another chapter anyway. Let me know what you think...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

Boston Pizza, Downtown Toronto

7:58 PM

"...and then he spilt the apple juice all over her lap." Derek spoke with a huge grin upon his face as Casey laughed at his story. "That's how I knew that Liza wasn't the one for me. If Simon and Marti don't approve of her, then I have no choice but to let her go."

"They do have a great judge of character. Marti knew Scott was bad news the minute she saw him." Casey smiled at the high school memory.

"Yeah, they're great kids."

"Marti's not so much a kid anymore, Derek. She's a teen now, remember?"

Derek groaned as the smile was replaced with a frown, "How could I forget? She reminds me every day when we Skype each other."

"You Skype her every day?" Casey's eyes widened with interest.

Derek shrugged, "At least every other day; when I'm not busy with hockey."

The love Derek expressed for his family, especially his younger sister, never ceased to amaze Casey. He really was a great older brother and would no doubt make a great father in the future as well.

_Whoa! Why am I thinking about Derek being a father? _Casey shook her head from the thought and shoved a forkful of pasta into her mouth.

"So, Case, how's work been these days? Besides, you know, running your life." Derek smirked at her.

Casey suddenly lost her appetite at the mention of work and set her fork on the side of her plate with a _clink. _The whole business with Phil blackmailing her was tearing her up inside. She wanted to scream and knock his lights out but she knew she couldn't do that.

She felt terrible earlier that day having to sneak behind the Agency's back as she snuck into the file room and borrowed Phil's file to copy. Luckily for her, no one had been near the room at the time, so she'd gotten the job done quickly and quietly. Casey sent the copies to Phil, using a fax machine a block away and returned the files in one piece.

Derek seemed to notice the disturbed look on his stepsister's face and knew something was wrong.

"Did something happen at work, Case?"

Casey quickly shook her head when she saw the concerned look in his eyes, "No. Everything's fine at work. Never been better."

"I will admit that you've improved on your lying over the years, Princess, but I still know when you're not telling me something."

Casey let out a sigh as she twirled the pasta on her plate with the fork, avoiding Derek's gaze, "It's nothing I can't handle, Derek." She surprised herself by saying.

Derek's eyes widened, equally surprised by her truthfulness, "Casey, if someone is..."

Casey cut him off with a harsh tone, "It's _nothing_, Derek. Let's change the subject. Please?"

_Before I actually do tell you what's going on and reveal the secret I've been keeping from you for six years, ending my career, and possibly my life._

Derek let out a sigh and nodded his head, "Fine, Case, but I want you to remember that you can tell me anything. Got it?"

Casey nodded weakly and shoved another forkful of pasta into her mouth, thankful that the discussion was over.

"So... um... You have a hockey game in Boston in a couple of days, right?" Casey changed the subject.

Derek nodded and raised a curious brow at her, "Yeah..."

"Do you ever... you know... look up into the crowd while you're playing on the ice?" She asked as she stared down at her plate.

Derek shrugged, "Sometimes, but my mind is usually focussed on the game than on the cheering crowd. I'm just thankful that they're there for support, unlike _some_ people I know."

Casey knew that comment was directed at her and she felt bad that she hadn't been able to attend any of his games since he'd joined the NHL. Maybe her job really did control her life...?

_But that job is important. _She reminded herself. _I save lives, countries, and sometimes the whole world from absolute destruction and chaos. _

"Look, Derek, I know I've promised to see one of your games many times now but..."

Derek glowered as he stared at her through narrowed eyes, "Your precious job is obviously more important than _family_."

Casey flinched at the coldness in his voice when he said that word.

"You, know what, Casey, I've never actually understood how a research company can keep you so busy all the time. You've never explained_ exactly_ what it is that you do there... Is it some kind of secret?" Derek asked as he leaned forward on his elbows, obviously annoyed with her.

Casey chuckled nervously, "Of course it's not a secret, Derek. We just research economic studies."

"But what does that _mean_?" He raised his voice as he slammed his fist on the table with frustration.

"Derek, calm down." Casey chided when she noticed people in the restaurant looking their way.

"I've never even met anyone that you work with. I mean, you've got to have friends at work, right?"

"Yes, but it's not like you're around much to meet my friends outside of work, Derek. You work just as hard as I do with hockey."

"I still have time for a life though. When was the last time _you_ visited our parents?"

"That's none of your business." Casey snapped bitterly.

"Yes it is, considering I have to hear them all asking 'how's Casey doing?', 'why hasn't Casey come to visit us?', 'Does Casey still love us?' every time I see them."

Tears were beginning to form in Casey's eyes as she stood up from the table and glared at her stepbrother, "You have no idea what I go through to keep this family safe, Derek. It hurts me physically every time I talk to one of them on the phone and can't see their face or hold them in my arms, but I have a job to protect them and that's what I'm going to do!"

"What do you mean 'protect them'?" Derek's venomous stare became one of confusion as he stared up at her.

Casey gasped when she realized what she'd just said and quickly shook her head, "I-I... I didn't mean..."

Suddenly the phone in her pocket began to vibrate. It was Phil.

Casey quickly wiped at the tears in her eyes and grabbed her purse. She laid down a twenty dollar bill on the table and gave Derek an apologetic look before hurrying out of the restaurant.

"Casey!" Derek called after her. "Casey, wait!"

She ignored his voice as she exited the building and ran into the nearest alleyway so that she could answer the phone in peace.

"What do you want now?" She barked into the receiver as she placed it against her ear.

"Someone's testy." Phil's slimy voice commented.

"Now is really not the time to be calling me, _Phillip_." She snapped.

"Actually now is the perfect time to be calling you, _Casey_, especially since your beloved younger sister's life is on the line."

Casey held back the tears threatening to spill as she took a deep breath, "I did what you wanted, so leave my family alone."

Phil chuckled, "You think retrieving a file was your only task? The job is not over yet, Agent McDonald. I still have a few more assignments for you to do before I leave you and your dear blended family alone."

Casey clenched her fist at her side and ground her teeth as she spoke into the phone, enunciating every syllable. "What-Else-Do-You-Need-Me-To-Do?"

"There's a man named Christoff Vendere that will be meeting up with another man tonight at _Bobbie Rosenfeld Park _to exchange a deal. I need you to intercept the meeting at any cost and bring what Christoff has to me. I will send you a profile to identify him with. "

"And where will _you _be?"

"I'll let you know when I hear that the job is done." He said before the line went dead.

Casey cursed loudly as she banged her fist against the brick wall adjacent to her, not caring that her hand would be bruised in the morning. She hated herself for letting Phil control her like his little puppet; she hated herself for letting her job get in the way of family; she hated herself for getting into a fight with Derek; and she hated herself for being so stupid and not watching what she revealed to him about her_ job_.

"When did life get so complicated?" She wondered aloud as she leaned against the wall feeling mentally exhausted.

(=)

Bobbie Rosenfeld Park

Downtown Toronto

9:37 PM

Casey waited patiently on a bench under the moon as she surveyed each person entering the park that could fit the profile that Phil texted her on the phone. The picture showed a large middle-aged man with thinning grey hair, a furry moustache under his round nose, and small beady hazel eyes. Phil said that the man would be wearing a dark coat and carrying a silver case, the same silver case she was to obtain. So far no one had fit the description exactly and Casey was becoming impatient.

The fight with Derek kept replaying over and over in her head. He was leaving tonight for Boston and it was the last time she would see him until his next game in Toronto or his week off in the spring. She hated him leaving angry with her.

Casey decided that sending him a quick text might ease the pain but before she could click on his name in her phone, she heard a man clear his throat and looked up to see none other than Christoff Vendere standing above her.

"Excuse me, Ma'am, I was wondering if you could tell me the time?" Christoff asked with a polite smile.

Casey swallowed the lump in her throat and silently nodded her head as she stared down at her phone, "It's... um... a quarter to ten."

"Thanks." The man dipped his head. "A young woman, such as you, should not be alone in a park at night."

"I can take care of myself, thanks." Casey nodded.

"Alright then. I appreciate the help." Christoff said before disappearing down the pathway through the trees.

"Time to get to work." Casey mumbled under her breath as she pulled the black hood of her sweater over her head and quietly followed behind.

Before the large man could get any further, Casey ran up behind him, jumped up in the air and knocked him out with a swift kick to the head. The silver case clattered to the gravelled sidewalk next to his body with a crash and Casey bent down to retrieve it.

"Stop right there!" A male voice shouted from behind. "Drop the case or I will end your life right here!"

Casey turned to the side and peeked out through her hood at the thin middle-aged man aiming a gun at her head. She raised her hands in the air in surrender as the man slowly approached her.

"I said drop it!" He ordered.

She gripped the case in her hand and made it look like she was bending to place it on the ground but at the last minute she spun around and wacked the man in the face, sending him to the cement with a shout of surprise. He suddenly lifted his hand and fired the gun. Like a flash of light, Casey did a back flip in the air, using the silver case as a shield to deflect the bullet and began running through the trees in a mad dash as more bullets flew past her.

Once she was out of the park and on the busy street, Casey hurried to her car parked down the next block and sped away from the scene with a sigh of relief.

Not even two minutes later, the phone in her pocket began to vibrate.

"I got it," Casey answered. "Now where are you?"

"Take the case to the next street over and leave it in front of the Starbucks."

"Are you serious?" She exclaimed, still slightly out of breath.

"Leave the case and go home, McDonald." Phil demanded. "I don't want to see you hanging around when I arrive. Got it?"

"Any more orders, _Sir_?" Casey scoffed with sarcasm.

"We'll be in touch." He said and hung up.

(=)

Casey's Apartment

10:28 PM

When Casey arrived home that night, she peeked into the guest bedroom hoping that Derek was still there. Unfortunately, the empty space before her proved otherwise as she let out a gasp. He'd even cleaned up his mess and made the bed, which only proved how upset he was. Usually, when Derek spent the night at her place, he would leave the bed unmade, dishes on the dresser, and a sock or two on the floor before he left, just to irritate her.

Casey closed the door behind her and made her way to the bathroom to get ready for bed. She could still smell her Stepbrother's cologne in the air and without thinking began inhaling it through her nose with a sad smile.

Maybe someday she'd be able to tell Derek what she really does for a living... Not that he'd actually believe her. Knowing him, he'd laugh till he cried and tell her "Good one, Spacey!" before she did a flip in the air and kicked a vase behind him, shattering it to pieces and scaring the crap out of him, all while flashing him his trademark smirk.

Unfortunately, that day would never come because Casey was sworn to secrecy by government law and the only way Derek would ever find out was if they got married, which made Casey's face scrunch up in disgust.

_Derek and I married? Now that is worth laughing at till you cry. _

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

9:06 AM

"Agent McDonald," Colonel Kluess' booming voice startled Casey as she sat in her office typing up a report on her computer. She turned to face the large man, trying to hide the fact that her voice was caught in her throat and her heart was palpitating. "Looks like you will be attending your brother's game tomorrow after all." Her boss spoke with a firm tone. "Haldega was spotted near the arena this morning. It seems he got a ticket to the game."

"Why wasn't he intercepted?" Casey cleared her throat with stunned eyes.

"Because we need to find out what he's up to, so start preparing. We meet in the Mission Room in ten minutes." He said and walked away.

Casey swivelled her chair back to face her desk and let her head drop into her hands as she rested her elbows on top of the desk.

"Why me?" She groaned in frustration.

"Why you what?" A familiar voice chuckled from behind her.

"Go away, Ben. I'm not in the mood right now."

"I take it you heard about the mission?" Ben mused as he entered her office, ignoring her command and took a seat beside her head on the desk.

A grunt from Casey confirmed his question.

"Don't sweat it, Bluebird. There's like a ninety-five percent chance that he'll even see you at the game. There's nothing to worry about."

"Five percent says otherwise." She replied as she looked up and glared at her partner.

"Has anyone ever pointed out your obsession to overreact?" He raised his brow in amusement.

"Yes and I can't help it." Casey groaned once again. Obviously not finding humour in the conversation. "What if he does happen to look up into the stands and see me?"

"Wear a disguise." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"This is Derek we're talking about, he'll see right through it!" Casey raised her voice.

Ben placed his hands on her shoulders and stared into her eyes, "Casey, we're in a small office; there is no need to be shouting."

Casey realized her mistake and quickly apologized, "Sorry, I didn't mean..."

Her partner nodded in understanding as he let go of her and his gaze turned to one of concern.

"Casey, is there something else other than the hockey game that's got you all flustered?"

"No, I just..."

"Casey..." Ben narrowed his eyes.

Casey let out a sigh, "Derek and I sort of had an argument last night over dinner and he left before we could talk it through."

"I see..." Ben nodded. "What was the argument about?"

"My "job"." Casey said, using her fingers as air quotes.

"Oh."

"Yeah, _Oh_. He was on my case about R.E.D. running my life and how I never visit the family anymore or have time for any fun... and... I sort of... let something slip out in my retaliation that I shouldn't have said." Casey looked down in shame.

"What did you say?" Ben whispered as he glanced at the door, making sure no one was listening.

Casey shook her head, "It's nothing too serious... but it did cause some curiosity on his part."

"Did you at least try to dissuade him?"

"Before I could reply I got a phone call and had to leave."

"What kind of phone call makes a person leave halfway through dinner?"

"I..."

"Hey, guys, sorry to interrupt but Kluess wants us in the Mission Roomnow." Karma said as she poked her blonde head inside the office.

"We're on our way, thanks, Rainforest." Ben said with a wink causing Karma to blush. He then turned back to Casey with a look that said "we're not done this conversation" and followed their new trainee out the door.

"Kill me now." Casey groaned as she closed her laptop and made her way towards the mission room behind her partners, wishing the day would end.

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><p><strong>The only good thing that has come out of this week being stuck at home in bed is that I've been watching the seasons of the show: "Castle" and loving it. It is so funny! If you've never checked it out, I recommend you do.<strong>

**Please leave reviews. I love receiving them.**

**Thanks so much for being so awesome and supportive. You guys Rock!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Since I got such Awesome and _Eager_ reviews from the last chapter, I had no choice but to upload the next one because I love you guys so much. **

**Let me know your thoughts... Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

TD Garden Arena

Boston, MA

6:54 PM

"And number twenty-three from Toronto, Ontario is Derek Venturi!" The announcer's voice shouted through the arena and at least half of the crowd cheered as Derek skated on to the ice with his hockey stick raised over his head.

Casey rolled her eyes at his theatrics as she hid her face behind a bowl of popcorn. She and Ben sat in the fourteenth row from the ice, right across from Haldega on the other side of the arena. She cursed the man for picking such close seats as she adjusted the red wig on her head and let out a groan.

"If Derek sees me, this will be the end of my career." The young agent pointed out.

"Quit worrying and focus on the target." Ben replied as he watched Greggar Haldega refuse a hot dog from the vender.

"Right," Casey nodded. "Focus on the job."

"As soon as he moves, we follow. Karma will be waiting in the van to give us details."

"You sure it was a good idea to leave her alone on her first mission?"

"She's a big girl, Casey, she'll be fine. Plus she knows how to obey orders and her orders were to stay in the van and keep it locked."

"You know I can hear you guys, right?" Karma's voice spoke through their ear pieces.

Ben laughed, "And did I say anything to offend you?"

"Nope." She replied, popping the "p". "But just out of curiosity, is everything alright with Bluebird?"

"Yes," Casey answered. "Sorry, I guess I'm just a little tense."

"A _little_?" Ben glanced at her with a "get serious" expression.

Casey sighed, "Ok, _a lot_, but can you blame me? I've never had to be on assignment while so close to a family member."

"Casey, look at him, he's totally oblivious to his surroundings." Ben pointed to Derek who was watching the other team as they waited for the buzzer to begin the game.

"I just... I guess a part of me wishes I could approach him and straighten things out. I hate him being mad at me."

"Wait a minute... What are you guys talking about? Or more importantly, _who _are you guys talking about?" Karma asked, obviously puzzled.

"We'll explain later, Rainforest. Right now we _all _need to keep our heads on the assignment or Kluess will literally chop them off." Ben chided motioning back towards their target who still sat peacefully watching the game.

"Sorry." Casey and Karma both spoke in unison.

(=)

7:47 PM

It was almost halfway through the game and Derek couldn't keep his head together. His mind kept wandering back to his fight with Casey last night and the confusing words she'd said.

_What did she mean by 'it's her job to protect them'? _Derek wondered as he skated down the ice towards the opposite net.

"Venturi!" Maver Jacobs, one of his teammates, yelled as he passed the puck to him.

Derek caught it with his stick, checked his surroundings and was about to shoot the puck into the net when his eye caught something in the crowd.

"Casey?" He voiced aloud as he stared at a woman who looked just like his stepsister but with red hair. She stared back at him with a guilty look of panic before she finally looked away and began to stand up.

Suddenly Derek's breath was knocked out of him as he stumbled backwards and the puck was taken by the opposing team. He glanced back up at the crowd but the woman was gone.

_I'm going crazy..._

"What is your problem, Venturi?" An angry teammate shouted at him as he approached on skates. "You lost us the puck, asshole!"

Derek ignored him as he turned on his skates and tried to shake his head of bewilderment, but the guy wouldn't back down.

"Hey, I'm talking to you, Venturi!" His teammate yelled as he shoved Derek in the shoulder with his gloved fist. "What is up with you today? You can't seem to get your head in the game! Are you going mental?"

Derek's temper was beginning to flare. He'd always disliked this guy. His name was Kent Barns and he was the world's biggest jerk. He'd always hated how Derek was so popular with the fans and how he had the picture perfect face for tabloids. His jealousy was finally bubbling to the surface as he shoved Derek again.

"Knock it off, Barns!" Derek growled through clenched teeth.

"That was the perfect shot and you messed it up!" Kent spat as he got up in Derek's face. "You were probably too busy scoping the crowd for your next groupie to lay."

"I. Said. Enough."

"Or was it that hot stepsister of yours that you were thinking of? Too bad she's off limits... For _you_ anyway." He sneered. "Maybe next time we're in town, I'll get me a little action, if you know what I mean."

Derek couldn't take it anymore and before he thought through the consequences, his fist had collided with his teammate's face.

"Don't you ever talk about her that way again!" Derek yelled as he took off his gloves, threw them to the ice, and continued to punch Kent Barns.

"What's this going on?" The announcer's voice spoke through the arena. "It looks like a fight... between two of the _same_ teammates...?"

The crowd began to boo as Derek's team began to pry him off of Barns' battered and bloody face.

"Venturi, that is enough!" The coach's voice boomed from behind and Derek suddenly realized what he was doing and dropped his fists immediately with wide eyes.

"I...I..." He stammered for words as he stared into the coach's fierce gaze.

"I don't want to hear it! You're out of the game!" The coach ordered as he pointed his finger towards the sidelines.

Derek glanced down at Kent with remorse as paramedics began to run on the ice towards them. He then he picked up his gloves, avoiding the confused glares from the rest of his team and skated off the ice, while muttering curses under his breath.

(=)

7:47 PM

"He's on the phone." Ben's voice spoke urgently as both agents watched the man across the arena intently.

Casey's eyes fluttered down towards the ice and watched as Derek was passed the puck. He seemed to be out of it today, like his mind wasn't on the game, and a stab of guilt made Casey realize that it was her fault. He was still thinking about what she'd said. Derek wasn't one to just let things go and she knew he was still processing the whole conversation in his head.

She watched as he was about to shoot the puck in the net and for some reason he looked up at the crowd and his eyes fell upon her. Recognition and confusion flashed in those brown orbs and Casey couldn't help but stare back.

"He's on the move. Let's go." Ben said from her side as he stood up.

Casey broke eye contact and nodded her head as she stood to her feet and began to follow her partner down the aisle of seats and out of the arena. She heard the crowd let out a gasp but didn't dare turn her head back to see what happened. She needed to focus on the job, not on Derek.

"Hey, Rainforest, do you have a visual on the target?" Ben spoke into his comms device.

"Affirmative. He's headed towards the back of the arena."

"Ok, Casey, you know what to do." Ben said as he turned to her.

Casey nodded.

"Erase all other thoughts but the task at hand. We can't afford to lose him this time."

"I got it, Benjamin." Casey snapped irritably as she turned around to leave.

Ben's hand on her shoulder stopped her as he turned her around and stared into her eyes, "I just worry about you, ok?"

"I'll be fine. I can handle this."

Ben smiled, "Then go get 'em, Bluebird."

"Good luck!" Karma said into her earpiece.

"Thanks."

"We'll be with you all the way." Ben said before they both took off in opposite directions.

Casey made her way through the crowds of people walking around or standing in line at the concession booths towards the back of the large arena and pushed thoughts of Derek into the back of her mind.

"He just punched his teammate!" A rowdy teenager suddenly yelled to his friends as they all ran back inside the arena. "The guy is nuts!"

Many other hockey fans began running to the entrances to see the commotion going on inside the rink and she thought she heard Derek's name being mentioned through the noise but chose to ignore it. She had to keep moving.

"I've spotted Reynolds!" Karma exclaimed in Casey's ear. "He's not too far from where Haldega is headed."

"Good work, Rainforest. Keep your eye on him. I'm almost there." Casey replied.

"They're going to have a tough time making the exchange now, considering most of the crowd is back inside watching the fight take place."

"What fight?"

"One of the players from Toronto decided to start beating up his own teammate. The rest are trying to pry him off as we speak. The guy's insane."

"Who are the players?" Casey asked with wide eyes.

"Um... The victim is Kent Barns... and the other is... De..." Karma stopped mid-sentence and spoke with an urgent voice. "Haldega and Reynolds have met. They're on the move towards the lower level where the change rooms are."

"Haldega's up to something. He knows no one will be down there during the game." Casey said as she picked up her pace and began running towards the stairway leading down.

"You're right behind them."

"Have they made the exchange?"

"I..." Karma began to speak but the line went dead.

"Rainforest?" Casey whispered into her earpiece. "Hello? Rainforest? Honey Pot? Do you copy?" There was no response from either agent.

"Crap!" Casey muttered under her breath. "I guess I'm on my own..."

She slowly inched her way down the stairwell and held in her breath when she heard voices speaking below her.

"This is not just something I will give away! I want more money or the deal is off!" A man's raspy voice shouted. Casey assumed it was Steven Reynolds.

"Give me the chip or I put a bullet through your head!" Haldega's thickly accented voice demanded.

Casey peeked around the corner to see the two men standing with their backs to her and a gun in Haldega's hand.

"This isn't a toy, Mr. Haldega! I have spent many years perfecting the QT7 and I will not be threatened into putting it in your hands without a decent price."

Haldega scratched his goatee in thought before giving a slight nod, "Fine, Mr. Reynolds. I will pay the extra amount."

The man's eyes widened in surprise before a proud grin spread across his face, "I'm glad we can make an agreement."

"Show me the chip and I give you the money."

"You think I would just carry it around with me?" Reynolds chuckled with amusement before his eyes narrowed. "Show me the money and I will tell you where it is."

Heldega let out a sigh of aggravation before he pulled out a wad of bills from his coat pocket. Reynolds beamed at the sight.

"My associates are holding it for me at the Green Lightening Café about a block from here. I will take you there immediately."

"That won't be necessary." Haldega sneered as he aimed the gun at the man's head and pulled the trigger.

The silencer around the gun caused only a small _Phewt _sound before the man dropped to the ground. Dead.

Haldega replaced the money in his pocket with a satisfied grin and pulled out his cell phone to dial a number.

"Kraemin, I want you and Bentley to head down to the lower level of the arena, right in front of the men's locker room. A body will be waiting for you. Clean it up and hurry back. I have a chip to retrieve." He spoke into the phone and hung up.

Casey knew he would be headed back up the stairs, so thinking fast, she pulled out a small tube of a sticky paste, which Mason invented himself, applied it to her hands and shoes and climbed up the wall in a mad dash.

Holding her breath, Casey held on to the ceiling and watched as Haldega made his way up the stairs and disappeared around the corner. Once she knew it was safe, she climbed back down the wall, removed the paste, and approached the body of Steven Reynolds.

"Honey Pot? Rainforest? Do you copy? Reynolds is down." Casey spoke urgently into the earpiece.

No reply.

"This is just great!" Casey whispered harshly with a frown.

"It's down this way." A voice suddenly spoke from the stairs and Casey saw two large men walking towards her.

She cursed silently, and thanked God that they hadn't spotted her yet as she tried to figure out what to do. She had no time to re-apply the sticky paste and climb the wall...

Casey glanced around and thanked God again as she saw the door to the men's change room to the left of her and quickly dashed inside.

_That was close. _She thought with a sigh as she leaned against the wall beside the door.

Just then a shower turned on and she let out another curse.

_Who the heck would be showering during the middle of the game?_

(=)

8:10 PM

Derek swore as he punched the locker in front of him, furious with himself and ashamed of what he'd done. He'd rushed inside the change room after being banned from the rest of the game, refusing to sit on the sidelines while the whole hockey arena looked at him like he was insane.

"There goes the respect of my fans."He muttered. "As well as from my teammates and my coach."

He let out a sigh of frustration as he sat on the bench between the rows of lockers and removed his jersey.

_Stupid Casey and her stupid confusing... everything! _He thought as he continued to remove his gear. _It's her fault this happened to begin with! If I hadn't been so focussed on what she'd said at dinner the other night, I could have made that shot and had everyone proud of me. But no, instead I go and beat the crap out of my own teammate because he spoke indecent about her._

_ And to top it all off, I'm seeing her in the crowd with red hair!_

Derek paused in his rant and undressing when he thought he heard voices outside the locker room.

_It's probably the damn press, waiting for me to come out and tell them what happened. _He scowled. _Well, luckily they are forbidden to enter the locker room, so I'm going to take my time and have a nice hot shower._

Derek finished removing the rest of his hockey gear, grabbed a towel from his locker, and made his way towards the showers.

"This day couldn't possibly get any worse." He said with a shake of his head and turned on the shower.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry to leave you guys with such a cliff-hanger... Please don't hate me? And please leave Awesome reviews if you liked this chapter and what you thought of it... Even if you have some predictions or theories for up-coming chapters... I'd love to hear them. <strong>

**Thanks for Reading and Reviewing! **

**BTW... I am slowly getting better. Thanks for your thoughts while I've been stuck in bed for two weeks. :D**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thanks for the Reviews! Here is the next chapter... PLEASE don't hate me? !**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10<strong>

_Four Years Ago_

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_9:22 AM_

_Casey let out a sigh of exhaustion as she threw her fist into the punching bag dangling from the ceiling one last time and wiped the sweat from her brow. It'd been two days since the incident at the warehouse and not a word from Kluess about whether she and her partner were still on the Potion X case. She was starting to stress, which led to the need of working out, hence why she was in the gym at Headquarters._

_ "Looking good, McDonald." Benjamin said with a wink as he approached her from the other side of the room where he'd been sparring with another agent._

_ Casey couldn't help but blush when she noticed his shirtless chest glistening in perspiration, which usually would have turned her off, but now she didn't mind so much. With all those muscles and tight abs, Casey could hardly force herself to look away. He was beautiful._

_ "You're not looking so bad yourself." She winked back at him. Enjoying the little flirting game they had going on._

_ "You should take it a little easy on the punching bag though. It never did anything to you." He smirked with amusement._

_ "Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away." _

_ "You picturing someone specific while hitting so hard?"_

_ "Someone specific would be nice." She sighed and began to remove the large gloves from her hands._

_ Ben nodded in understanding, giving her a sympathetic look as his eyes wandered to the fading bruise on her chest, suddenly making her uncomfortable in the sports bra she was wearing._

_ Casey groaned as she ran a hand through her hair that was tied back, "I just... I can't shake the feeling of familiarity when that guy had me pinned down. It was like I knew him but I couldn't figure out from where."_

"_Don't beat yourself up. We'll catch this guy." He smiled reassuringly, returning his gaze to her eyes. _

_ "Yeah, if we don't get kicked off the case for disobeying orders." Casey scoffed, folding her arms across her chest._

_ "Highly unlikely considering we're the best agents Kluess has right now. He even said so himself. _

"_Blake! McDonald!" Sensei Hershey hollered from across the gym. "The Colonel wants the two of you in the Mission Room in ten minutes!"_

_ "I'm not sure whether to be worried or relieved..." Ben said as he nodded to their Sensei and waved to Casey. "See you in ten, Partner."_

_ Casey waved at his retrieving form headed towards the Men's change room before turning towards the Women's. _

Please, God, don't let me be fired...

(=)

_The Mission Room_

_9:47 AM_

"_We've received another note." Colonel Kluess spoke with a grim expression as he took a seat at the head of the table. He looked like he hadn't slept in days._

_ Casey watched silently as her boss clicked the button on the remote and the hologram in the middle of the table flashed to life, revealing the image of the second note printed in red._

_**YOU MAY THINK YOU HAVE THE UPPER HAND WITH YOUR FANCY TECHNOLOGIES, BUT THERE IS NO STOPPING ME, SO WATCH YOUR BACKS. I HAVE EYES EVERYWHERE.**_

_Casey was appalled as she finished reading the note and continued to stare at it in shock. Who did this guy think he was?_

_ "So what are we supposed to do now?" Ben spoke up from beside her. "This guy obviously means business."_

_ "And so do we." Kluess replied with a firm jaw. His eyes were blazing with anger. "I want this man captured before any more lives are at stake. He needs to be found!"_

_ "And how do you expect us to find him when he seems to know our every move?"_

_ "That's where you two come in." He gestured to Casey and Ben._

_ Casey's eyes widened in surprise, "You mean we're not off the case?"_

_ "You may have messed up on the last mission, but it was your first... Plus I need good spies like the two of you. You're honestly my only hope right now."_

_ "We understand, Sir." _

_ "I want the two of you on a private jet to L.A. in three hours. Agent Richmond Carlson from the NSA, whom you've already met, will meet you there to discuss more on the topic of Potion X and our mystery creator."_

_ Both agents nodded as their boss stood to his feet and left the room without another word._

(=)

_NSA Headquarters_

_Los Angeles, CA_

_5:00 PM_

_Casey was still on a high of amazement and bewilderment as she and her partner stepped out of the yellow cab parked in front of the NSA building with wide eyes. She couldn't believe this was all happening to her. She, Casey McDonald, was a government spy, who had just flown in a private jet to meet up with the NSA. And not to mention the fact that her partner was a major hottie. _

_ "This is all so surreal." Casey spoke as she waited for Ben to finish paying the cab driver with agency money they'd been given._

_ "Believe it, Bluebird, because it's happening." Ben grinned as the cab pulled away and left the two agents with their luggage on the side of the street._

_ "Should we just go in or wait out here?" Casey asked as she surveyed their surroundings with wary eyes._

_ "I'm not sure." Ben shrugged._

_ Casey was about to open her mouth when a young woman with dark, wavy brown hair, and a slim figure stepped out of the large glass doors of the building and waved to them._

_ "Hello, you must be the agents from Canada." She said as she held her hand for them to shake. "My name is Kathy St. Francis. It is very nice to meet you."_

_ Casey noticed how Kathy's hand lingered in Ben's longer than it had in hers and the woman gazed into his eyes, obviously liking what she saw._

_ "I'm Casey McDonald and this is my partner Benjamin Blake." Casey spoke, causing the woman's eyes to glance her way, removing her from the trance she was in. "We're supposed to be meeting Agent Carlson."_

_ "Yes." Kathy nodded, replacing her hand by her side with a slight blush in Ben's direction. "I was sent to welcome you and take you to him. You may follow me." She said and turned around to head back inside the building._

_ Casey and Ben followed close behind as Kathy led them through the main lobby where they had to undergo a thorough security check before entering the rest of the building._

_ "I prefer Chip scanning me than security officers putting their hands where they don't belong." Casey mumbled after they were clear to proceed and stood in an elevator._

_ Ben laughed, "I was waiting for you to suddenly hit the one guy."_

_ "I would've if it didn't cost me my job."_

_ "That's what I like about you, you're feisty." Ben grinned as the elevator dinged and they stepped out into a dimly lit hallway._

_ Casey caught Kathy giving her an odd look and averted her gaze as they continued down the hall. They finally stopped at a metal door on the right and Kathy knocked lightly._

_ "Sir, Agents: Benjamin Blake and Casey McDonald are here to see you from Kingston, Ontario." She spoke through the door._

_ "Proceed." Carlson's voice replied._

_ There was a click before Kathy turned the knob of the door and walked inside, gesturing for the two agents to follow her lead._

_ "Well if it isn't the Canadian agents sent to help us Americans out." Richmond Carlson spoke from behind his large wooden desk that sat in front of a wide window over looking the city streets._

_ Casey wasn't sure whether he was using witty humour or sarcasm, but she was offended by his comment either way._

_ "Hello, Agent Carlson. It's nice to see you again." Ben said as he shook the man's hand with a smile._

_ Casey did the same, deciding to keep her comments to herself._

_ "I assume you have heard about the second note?" Carlson asked as he folded his hands on his desk top._

_ Ben nodded. "Yes. Do you have any leads yet?" _

_ The man shook his head, "No, but we have a strong feeling that he is working among us."_

_ "Yes, you've already stated that in our last meeting." Casey pointed out._

_ "I'm not just talking about the NSA, my dear, I'm talking about all of the secret government agencies."_

_ "And why would you think that?"_

_ "Because more of the blasted poison has been found." _

_ "Where?" _

_ "All over the world. Where ever there's a covert operation, there's a warehouse filled with the stuff."_

_ "So why haven't you confiscated it?"_

_ "As you've experienced, it's harder than it looks. More of our agents have been contaminated because of that red liquid. There's no way to remove it without the risk of exposure."_

_ "And what does that have to do with there being rogue agents in our headquarters?"_

_ "The notes." The man raised his voice. "There is no way those red lettered notes could make it past our security unless there was someone on the inside who knew how to bypass it."_

_ Ben and Casey didn't reply._

_ "I believe that they're planning another attack." The man's expression turned grim as he stared into their eyes. "These people mean business."_

_ "But what is the motive?" Ben asked._

_ "Just like the first letter said," Casey spoke with wide eyes, "they're out to rid the world of secret agents. 'Goodbye Spies. Hello world'." She quoted. "They want to get rid of us, so that they can do whatever they want with the world and not worry about us interfering."_

_ "Makes sense. Good work, Casey." Ben smiled as he clapped her on the back._

_ "If that's the case, then we're in even more danger than we initially perceived." Carlson said as he stood from his desk with a look of terror and determination. "We need to get to work immediately. These people must be stopped at any cost!"_

(=)

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_1:16 AM_

_Just a few more sentences and Casey's report on their work in L.A. would be finished. Not that they did much work there... She and Ben spent two days in Los Angeles with the NSA doing research and investigating but came up with nothing. The only thing they were positive about was the motive for the red potion and its deadly infection. _

_ They still had no idea who was behind Potion X, if they planned on using their red infection again, and how they would be able to transport the potions without becoming the next victim of their demise. _

_ The Agency Jet landed two hours ago and Casey went straight to her office to finish her report. She couldn't help it if the keener side of her still existed once in a while. It was who she was. _

_ As she was about to type the last word of the last sentence, there was a noise down the hall and Casey's fingers froze on the keyboard. _

I thought I was the only one here so late... _The young agent thought as she slowly stood to her feet and crept towards the half open door._

_ Another noise down the hall made the hairs on the back of Casey's neck stand to attention as she eased the door open and peeked into the hallway. _

_ It was empty._

_ "I don't want to do this. I'm done." She heard the hushed voice of a man speak down the next hall._

_ Casey cautiously made her way down the narrow hallway, past the other offices, and peered around the corner into the adjacent hall._

_ A tall man stood with his back to her. He was wearing dark clothing and a blue baseball hat. He was also talking on the phone._

_ "I don't care what you say, I can't do this anymore." The voice was familiar as it spoke harshly into the cell, but Casey couldn't quite recognize it in the hushed tones it was speaking._

Should I say something? Do something? What if it's just another agent at the office late...? But what if it's an intruder...? Wait... How would an intruder have gotten past Chip?

_Casey knew there was no way that anyone could get past their security system unless they were an agent as well. She let out a sigh at the realization and decided to confront the person._

_ "Hello?" Casey said as she walked into the open hall._

_ The man spun around to face her with wide, panic stricken eyes and that's when Casey knew who it was._

_ "Phil?"_

_ "C-Casey!" He stuttered in surprise as he quickly hung up the phone and placed it back in his pocket. "Um... What are you doing here?" _

_ "Are you alright? You seem anxious about something...?"_

_ "No, sorry, you just startled me is all. I didn't know anyone else was here."_

_ "I just got back from an assignment in L.A. and wanted to finish my report before tomorrow."_

_ "Wow," he chuckled. "You really are a keener."_

_ Casey shrugged with a slight smile, "I can't help it."_

_ She was still confused as to why he was here and who he'd been talking to._

_ "Who was on the phone, if you don't mind me asking?" She voiced her thoughts._

_ "Uh... just an old friend..." He averted her gaze._

_ "It sounded like you were upset..." She speculated with a frown._

_ "Yeah, they just... uh... wanted help with something but I don't have the time for it. You know how it is." _

_ Casey nodded, forcing a smile, "Sure."_

_ "Well... I guess I should be getting home." He said as he looked at the watch on his wrist._

_ "Yeah, same here." _

_ "I heard you and Blake got promoted to head agents." He suddenly smiled proudly at her._

_ Casey nodded, "Yes, but only because Breims and Larson are no longer available."_

_ "Hey, you're still a great agent and I know you'll do great out there."_

_ "Thanks." Casey couldn't help but smile at her former Handler. He truly did believe in her as an agent._

_ "Just be careful though, Casey. It's dangerous work."_

_ "I know."_

_ "Good night." He smiled and Casey noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes as he turned away._

Why are you suddenly so mysterious, Phillip Greenwood?

(=)

Present Time.

TD Garden Arena

Boston, MA

8:13 PM

Casey cursed silently under her breath as the sound of running water surrounded the locker room. She was sure Haldega's men could hear it from the hallway and knew they'd be coming through that doorway any minute to investigate.

She pulled out a pair of what looked like ordinary reading glasses and put them over her eyes. The glasses were another one of Marz's inventions; they were designed to see through solid objects. He still had a few kinks to work out in them since they only allowed the viewer to see in heat vision form, but it was good enough in Casey's opinion.

She peered at the door to the change room and could make out the figures of two large men standing over a figure on the ground that was slowly fading out of sight, considering it was no longer alive and its body heat was decreasing.

The men were arguing. One pointed to the body while the other pointed to the door. Obviously discussing whether they should check out who was having a shower and if they'd seen anything, or wrap up the body and go before anyone else showed up.

She pressed her ear to the thick door and listened.

"They could have seen what happened. The boss would kill us if we let a witness go." One of the men spoke.

"Someone else might show up and find the body. We need to get rid of it now."

"Then you wrap up the body and I will take care of whoever is in the locker room."

"Of course you leave me with the boring job." The other man grumbled.

"Just shut it and hurry up."

She heard the click of a silencer being put into place and hurriedly removed the glasses from her face and stepped back.

The sound of the shower turning off, forced Casey's gaze away from the door and she knew that she had to do something fast. Knowing Haldega's men, they'd kill the innocent man in the locker room just for the kick of it.

Footsteps were approaching from the shower stalls and Casey turned her attention back to the door just as it swung open and a large, burly man walked inside, gun in hand. His eyes settled on her and widened in surprise, obviously not expecting to see a woman inside the men's change room. Before he could even open his mouth or aim the weapon at her, Casey jumped up, spun around and kicked the man in the head, forcing him to lose balance and topple to the cement floor below. She then pulled out her tranquilizer gun from its holster on the inside of her right thigh and shot him in the chest, surrendering him unconscious.

"What's going on here?" A startled voice shouted from behind her.

Casey's heart rate increased drastically. She knew that voice.

"Who are you?" The man behind her demanded to know.

Casey sucked in a deep breath. There was nothing she could do as she slowly turned around, removed the red wig from her head and locked eyes with her stepbrother.

"Hey, Derek..."

* * *

><p><strong>I know... I am a horrible person! I left you on another cliff-hanger! Aaahh! I'm so sorry! I promise that the next chapter is Awesome though!<strong>

**Leave a review and I'll post the next chapter once I have at least eight... **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! I really appreciate it! You guys rock and I hope I still do too in your opinion... **


	11. Chapter 11

**Here it is! The chapter that you have been waiting for! Thanks for the reviews! I stuck to my word. I got eight reviews, so enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

TD Garden Arena

Boston, MA

8:23 PM

To say Derek was confused couldn't even begin to describe his emotions as the locker room intruder, whom he'd just witnessed shoot a guy in the chest, turned out to be Casey McDonald. His stepsister Casey. Keener, Klutzilla, feminist, and sometimes irritating Casey. _His_ _Casey_. And all she had to say was, "Hey, Derek." While his mind literally exploded.

"Derek, I know you don't understand what's going on right now, but you need to trust me. There's another man about to come through that door in search of his friend and I need you to stay back."

Casey was speaking but Derek had no idea what she was saying.

"Did I... hit my head or something...?" He wondered aloud as he reached up and felt for a bump on his forehead.

"Unfortunately not," Casey frowned. "Now, please, just do as I say for once?"

"You... you shot that guy..." He stared dumbfounded as he pointed to the unconscious body on the floor.

Casey held up the gun in her hand and Derek instinctively took a step back.

"Don't worry; it's only a tranquilizer gun. It'll keep him out for a couple of hours; long enough for us to escape."

He could tell that she was just as shocked as he was as he stared into her panicked blue eyes. He could also detect a look of guilt.

Suddenly the door opened and a man even larger than the one on the floor walked in with an annoyed expression.

"What is taking you so..." He stopped mid-sentence when he noticed his buddy lying on the floor and went to reach for the gun at his side, except Casey's fist colliding with his jaw thwarted that plan.

He growled as he turned to face his attacker, "You Bi..." He didn't get to finish that sentence either before Casey hit him again with a swift kick to the gut.

Derek stood stock-still, absorbing the scene with wide, terrified eyes. His stepsister was actually kicking some guy's butt right now instead of shrieking: "Say no to violence!" It was all surreal.

The man's face twisted in pain but other than that he seemed perfectly fine as he brought his fist up and smashed it into Casey's chest, causing her to stumble back with a gasp.

"Casey!" Derek yelled.

"Derek, stay back!" His stepsister barked as she gripped her chest and moved in for another attack.

She held her fists in front of her face and circled the man with a fierce glare.

"You seriously think you, a little girl, can take me down?" The man chuckled bitterly.

"I took down your friend didn't I?" She raised an amused brow.

The man spat to the side, "He is no fighter compared to me."

"We'll see about that." Casey grinned and lunged at the man.

Derek couldn't force his eyes to look away as Casey punched the man in the face, ducked to avoid his counter-attack, and then spun around so that she was behind him. Before the man could realize what had happened, Casey pulled out her tranq gun and shot him in the neck. He slowly turned to face her with stunned eyes as his knees gave away from beneath and he fell to the ground in a deep sleep.

An ominous silence filled the room as both stepsiblings stared at the two unconscious forms on the locker room floor. Derek was speechless. He forced his eyes away from the men and settled his gaze upon Casey who was trying to control her breathing as she stood hunched over with her hands on her knees.

"We need to get going." She spoke as she stood up straight and stepped over the bodies to approach him.

Derek stepped back with his hands raised and a look of sheer terror etched across his face, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" He shouted, causing Casey to stop mid-stride.

"Derek, I know you're confused..."

"_Confused_?" Derek bellowed with wide eyes. "_What_ was that? _Who_ was that? I mean... You just... and... How did you...? _Who_ are you?" He stammered out.

"I will explain everything later."

"No!" He snapped. "Explain now!"

"Derek..."

"All these years I thought I had you pegged and then you do something like this!" He ranted as he ran his hands through his damp shaggy hair. "Are you some kind of assassin; some kind of criminal?"

"No, it's nothing like that." She took another step towards him. He noticed her eyes dart towards his chest and looked down to realize that he was still in nothing but a towel.

Casey pretended not to notice and glanced back at the doorway warily.

"We need to leave before more of Haldega's men get here."

"Who the heck is Hildalgo?"

"Haldega, Derek, and he's a very dangerous man. His men would have killed you if I hadn't been here."

"You expect me to thank you?" He frowned. "You lied to me, Case."

Unexpectedly the locker room door swung open again and in walked a guy that looked like he should be a male model with a sling around his left shoulder. He held a gun similar to Casey's in his right hand and he let out a sigh when he noticed her standing there.

"Ben!" Casey shouted, relief washing over her. "What happened to you?"

"What happened to me?" He raised a brow. "What happened to _you_? I saw the body outside and heard voices in here. You're lucky I found you."

His eyes glanced over the men on the floor and then fell on Derek. They widened in revelation and a small smirk graced his features.

"Derek Venturi. This is quite a surprise."

"How do you...?"

"My name's Benjamin Blake. I work with your stepsister."

"Work?"

"He doesn't know yet?" Ben turned back to Casey who was watching the exchange with a red face.

"Does it look like I've had time to explain?" She asked motioning to the beat up and tranquillized bodies.

"Well then I guess we'll have lots of time for that on our way out." He grinned as he motioned to the door. "Let's go."

"Wait," Casey grabbed his good arm. "What happened to our communication? I couldn't hear you or Karma anymore."

"I don't know. It must be your earpiece because mine is working fine. Our perky trainee is still speaking in my ear as we speak. In fact she wants me to ask you if you're alright."

Casey smiled, "Yes. I'm fine."

"Good, now that that's cleared up, we really have to get out of here. More of Haldega's men are headed here now." Ben turned to face Derek. "Derek, buddy, I'm sorry we have to drag you into this, but you're no longer safe here. You need to come with us."

Derek stared at the attractive blonde man who said he worked with Casey and his mind continued to spin with bewilderment. None of this was making any sense.

"I'm not going anywhere until I know what the heck is going on." Derek shook his head.

"Der-ek! We don't have time for this!" Casey shouted.

"Roger that, Rainforest." Ben spoke into his earpiece. He then turned to Casey with a frantic look, "They're making their way down the stairs as we speak. At least six of them."

"Derek, either you come willingly or we _will_ make you." Casey ground her teeth.

"What, are you going to shoot me?"

"Dude, I'd listen to her if you knew what was good for you." Ben advised, glancing nervously at the door.

"Derek, please," Casey walked right up to him so that she stood only a foot away and pleaded with her eyes. "I know you're angry with me right now, but I'm trying to help you. If you don't come with us now, those men will kill you."

He noticed her eyes misting with tears and knew this hurt her just as much as it hurt him.

"Alright." He sighed. "I'll come."

Casey beamed up at him, "Thank you, Derek."

"They're approaching the bottom of the stairs. There's no way we'll make it out of here without enforcing a fight." Ben groaned.

A light bulb lit up in Derek's head as he spoke, "There's another way out of here!"

"Where?" Ben and Casey spoke at once.

"Through the back. Follow me." He said before hurrying through numerous aisles of lockers and past the showers.

They heard the door open behind them and startled voices speaking at once.

"Whoever did this might still be in here. Search the place!" One of the men hollered.

The two agents and NHL player picked up their speed as they approached a doorway at the back of the large room and Derek tried to shove it open. He cursed when it didn't budge.

"It's locked." He whispered harshly.

"Not a problem." Casey smirked as she pulled out a tube of lipstick from her pocket and applied it to the door. The lock clicked and the door opened.

"What kind of lipstick is that?" Derek's asked with a dropped jaw.

"Mason Marz." Casey grinned and Ben chuckled.

"I heard something over there!" A voice shouted behind them.

The trio quickly slipped through the door, closed it behind them and started sprinting down the narrow hallway of the TD Garden Arena.

Derek let out another curse when he realized that he was still wearing just a towel around his waist and had to keep his grip on it to keep it from falling as he ran.

_This day officially got worse. _

(=)

TD Garden Arena parking lot

Boston, MA

9:07 PM

Casey glanced behind her to make sure Derek was still with them and couldn't help but stifle a laugh as he ran though the gravelled parking lot in bare feet while trying to keep the white towel wrapped securely around his lower half.

The smile fell from her face however when she noticed a large black pick-up truck speeding towards them.

"Ben!" She called with wide eyes and her partner turned his gaze towards the threat.

"Hurry!" He shouted.

A blue van suddenly pulled up in front of them and Karma waved from the driver's seat as Ben opened the side door and waited for Casey and Derek to climb in the back.

Once safely inside, Ben closed the door, ran to the driver's side and switched seats with Karma. He always preferred to be the driver, especially in a chase.

"Ben, what about your arm?" Karma pointed out.

"I'll be fine." He replied and stepped on the gas, narrowly escaping the front bumper decked out in bush bars.

The van flew to life in the dimly lit parking lot as Ben steered it past parked cars and the random few people standing around outside.

"What do those guys want?" Derek asked as he sat beside Casey staring out the back window at the truck in pursuit of them.

"They want us dead."

"But why? What did you do?"

"We didn't _do_ anything, Derek. They're the bad guys. Not us."

"Watch out!" Karma shouted as Ben swerved to miss a car pulling out of a stall. Behind them, Haldega's men smashed right through it, not caring about the person inside as the back end crumpled from the impact.

"They're gaining on us, Ben!" Casey cried when she noticed how close the truck was to their bumper.

"Would you two just shut up and let me drive?" Ben yelled at his partners, obviously frustrated.

He sped out of the parking lot and into on coming traffic. Karma shrieked with her hands over her mouth as Ben swerved left and right, trying to avoid the other drivers.

Casey watched in horror through the back window as Haldega's men rammed into a red mini van causing it to swerve and crash into a white SUV.

"These guys don't want to let up." Derek watched in astonished horror as they smashed through another vehicle, forcing it to crash into a fire hydrant on the sidewalk.

"I'm not trying to be a back seat driver, Ben, but we need to lose these guys and get off of the busy road." Casey advised.

"I know. Karma, see if you can find another route up ahead."

"I'm on it." The young blonde said as she pulled out her phone and pressed a couple buttons.

"Turn right here!" Karma shouted.

"Where?" Ben shouted back.

"You missed it on the right!"

Ben cursed as he gripped the steering wheel with his good arm and glanced in the rear view mirror.

"Hang on to something, guys!" He ordered before slamming on the breaks, causing them all to jerk forward and then back.

"What are you doing?" Casey yelled.

"Just hold on tight!"

He suddenly pressed on the gas pedal and did a quick u-turn as their pursuers raced past them. He then sped out into more traffic, jumped the divider and cruised past two cars, narrowly making it out of there alive before he found the back road that Karma was talking about and continued on through it.

"You're insane!" Karma gasped as she held her rapidly beating heart.

"I've never felt more alive!" Ben whooped with a laugh.

Casey shook her head, trying to regain her own breathing that she'd lost in their near-death escape and looked down to see that Derek's arm was securely wrapped around her middle, holding her to the seat.

"Um... Derek..." Casey blushed as she looked up at the man sitting beside her. "You can let go of me now."

Derek turned from watching the back window and a blush tinted his own cheeks as he removed his arm.

"Sorry." He mumbled in embarrassment.

"Don't be." Casey smiled at him. She was flattered that he cared so much.

"Do you think we've lost them?" Karma asked as she glanced back at Casey.

"I don't see anyone behind us." Casey replied.

"Good," Karma nodded. "Now would someone care to explain who the half naked man in the back seat is?"

(=)

Somewhere in Boston

9:46 PM

"So he's your brother?" Karma spoke with wide eyes.

"_Step_brother." Casey and Derek both corrected out of habit.

The foursome had decided to pull over and lay low for a while until the Agency jet could pick them up in the morning and they could figure out what to do.

"I still can't believe this is happening to me." Derek shook his head as he leaned against the back of the seat.

"Uh... Derek... you might want to close your legs..." Ben spoke with a chuckle.

Derek turned red as he quickly moved his legs closer together and wrapped the towel even tighter around his frame.

"Do you by any chance have a change of clothes for me? I'd really appreciate it."

"Sorry, man, but all I've got are the clothes on my back. The rest are at our hotel back in town."

"So then why don't we head back there and make a stop at my hotel on the way?"

"Because Haldega's men are probably still searching for us. It'd be safer if we just stay put." Casey replied.

"The best I can do is offer you my coat right now." Ben said as he took off his hooded leather jacket, favouring his injured shoulder and handed it to Derek.

"Thanks." Derek dipped his chin as he took the jacket and put it on over his exposed upper body.

"No problem."

Derek turned to look at Casey who had been staring out the window with a grim expression, "So, Case, are you ready to talk?" Derek asked.

Casey sighed and looked up at Ben and Karma, "Do you mind giving us a moment?"

"Sure." They both replied.

"We'll just be outside then." Casey said as she opened the sliding door and stepped out into the cool night air.

"I'll work on locating Haldega's whereabouts." Karma said as she opened up her laptop computer and began typing away.

Ben gave Casey an encouraging and reassuring nod before closing the door back up and leaving the stepsibs to talk.

It was quiet for a moment as Casey surveyed their surroundings. They seemed to be on a back road somewhere. She could see a gas station a couple blocks away with its neon sign flashing against the black sky and that was about it.

"So... are we going to talk or just stand here in the cold?" Derek finally spoke up as he dug his hands inside the leather jacket pockets.

"This is just hard for me, Derek." Casey sighed. "I've dreaded this day ever happening."

"So you just thought you could keep this double life a secret without anyone finding out?"

"It's not that I wanted to keep it secret. I had to."

"What is it exactly that you do?"

Casey let out a breath as she kicked at a rock on the road. "I'm a secret government Agent. I have been for six years now."

"Six years?" Derek gaped. "You've been lying to me for _six _years?"

"I was sworn to secrecy, Derek! I had no other choice!"

"Does your mother know?"

"No. Nobody knows; except now you."

"Well at least this explains a lot." He said as he raised his hands in the air. "You've never actually worked at a research place have you?"

Casey shook her head, "No. R.E.D. is just a cover."

Derek began to pace, "So all those nights that you got home late, or came home with an injury, or plans you had to cancel were all because of your covert spy life?"

Casey nodded, "Pretty much."

Derek stopped pacing and turned to stare at her with a look of perplexity, "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"How did you _lie_? The Casey McDonald I knew couldn't lie to save her life and suddenly she's been lying for six years?"

Casey shrugged, "I had training."

"I can't believe this!" Derek cried out in frustration as he gripped at his hair. "I don't even know you anymore."

"Of course you know me, Derek!" Casey said as she took a step towards him.

Derek shook his head, "No. The Casey I saw back there in the change room kicking some huge thug's butt was not you."

"But it _is_ me, Derek. Whether you like it or not, I am that person and I'm not going to change. I like my life and I like my job."

"Yeah, because running from guys who want to kill you is really fun!" He snapped with sarcasm.

"At least I'm doing something productive with my life! I _save_ people's lives every day and solve some of the most earth shattering dilemmas, and all you do is skate on ice and pass around a puck."

"Oh, so now you're going to rub your _super spy_ lifestyle in my face?" Derek scowled bitterly. "Thanks, Case, that's really thoughtful of you."

"I can't believe you, Derek!" Casey shouted as she stood directly in front of him. "You're always complaining about me not doing something better with my life, and when I finally tell you what I really do, you're still not satisfied!"

"You're damn right I'm not!"

"Why, Derek? Why can't you just be proud of me for once?"

"Because it's too dangerous! I don't like the thought of losing you, Casey!"

Both stepsiblings stopped breathing in that moment as Derek's confession swam through their minds and absorbed.

Derek cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with how close they were standing to each other and took a step back, avoiding her piercing gaze.

Casey's deep blue eyes looked up at him, forcing his gaze to meet hers and she spoke in a calm but determined voice, "I may be risking my life everyday, but I risk it for you; for the world."

Before Derek could respond, the sliding door of the van was pulled open and Ben jumped out with a look of alarm.

"Get in here now! They've found us!"

Casey and Derek both turned to see the black pick-up speeding down the road towards them and took off running for the van.

Shots started ringing through the air and Casey felt one skim past her leg.

"They're shooting at us!" Derek cried as he covered his head with his hands.

"Don't look back! Just keep running!" Casey shouted at him.

Derek made it to the van first and jumped in as Ben started it up and began moving.

"Wait! Casey's still out there!" Derek yelled at him.

Bullets began bouncing off the vehicle as Casey sprinted for the open door.

"Casey, grab my hand!"

Derek was reaching out to her as she dodged bullets left and right. She finally managed to grasp his hand and he pulled her in, slamming the door behind them as the truck continued to barrel down on them.

* * *

><p><strong>I have to say, I had fun writing this chapter and the next one as well. <strong>

**Thanks for reading, reviewing and alerting my story! **

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter, especially since I was so awesome and posted it the next day... :D**


	12. Chapter 12

**Heyyy! Sorry it took me longer than usual to update but life has been busy again since I started back to work after my two week NON-vacation in my bed with PAIN... Blah!**

**Thanks for all the Wonderful reviews! I get excited every time my email tells me there is another one! Woot!**

**This is the other chapter that I am very fond of. I hope you enjoy it... It is Very ACTIONY! (Yes, I know Actiony is not a real word but it is fun to say) :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

Somewhere in Boston

10:41 PM

"We have to lose these guys, Ben!" Casey shouted to her partner as they raced through the streets of Boston in the blue rental van that now had bullet holes embedded in the exterior.

"I know, Casey. I'm working on it!"

"Well they're gaining on us so you better come up with something fast or we're all dead!"

Benjamin turned to their agent in training sitting in the seat next to him and spoke quickly, "Karma, have you found any other exits or side roads we could take?"

"It's kind of hard to focus when there are men chasing us in a death-mobile!" Karma snapped back as she pressed buttons on her phone.

"Well we need you to focus if you want to live out the next few minutes."

"There's a fork in the road up ahead! Continuing straight will keep us on this back road with really no escape; going right leads to a neighbourhood and left leads to a highway."

"Is there anything else? I'd rather we stay away from innocent bystanders and not cause anymore accidents." Casey spoke up from the back with a frown.

"We have no other choice, Casey. It's either one of those roads or we surrender." Ben replied.

"Then I say we fight."

Both agents widened their eyes in shock.

"Are you serious?" Karma exclaimed. "There's like six of them and three of us."

"Four." Derek piped up.

"Are you trained in combat?" Ben raised a brow at the hockey player.

"Well no... but..."

"Then sorry, Derek, but you're not fighting."

"Come on!" Derek groaned. "I can fight!"

"Have you ever fought against a man with a gun?"

"No." Derek grumbled.

"Then this is not your fight."

"So you're considering my idea then?" Casey smiled.

"It's insane but they won't be expecting it."

"Exactly."

Ben dropped his blonde head with a sigh before lifting it up again and grinning at his partner, "Ok. Let's do it."

"Yes! My first official fight!" Karma whooped.

(=)

Derek couldn't believe he was hearing any of this correctly. Casey wanted to fight. _Casey_, his say-no-to-violence stepsister, would rather turn around and take on six guys with guns than run for the hills.

_Seriously, who is this woman sitting next to me?_ Derek thought with a shake of his head.

"You got your gun?" Casey asked Ben as she placed her own in the back of her pants.

"In my back pocket." Her partner replied while keeping his eyes on the road.

"I've got mine as well." The cute blonde with an equally adorable name smiled as she placed her own tranquillizer gun at her side.

"You have trained with it, right?" Ben glanced at her in concern.

"Of course."

"Even so, I'd still like you to stay behind Casey and me. We're more experienced and know how to deal with these guys."

Karma nodded.

"Are you guys freaking serious right now?" Derek finally snapped as he glared at Casey.

"Derek, this is nothing that concerns you." She bit back with narrowed eyes as she placed a knife on the inside of her thigh.

Derek grabbed her arm, forcing her to lean towards him so that he could whisper in her ear, "This _does_ concern me, Casey. You're my... family and I can't just sit back and watch you get killed."

"Who says I'm going to get killed?" She whispered back with a raised brow.

"This is suicide and you know it."

"Trust me, Derek, I've been in worse fights and survived, so quit worrying about me and let me do my job." She frowned as she pulled away from his grasp and looked out the window.

"They're almost at our bumper. You better initiate now or we're road kill." Casey spoke to Ben.

"Hold on to your seats." Ben smirked as he gripped the wheel and suddenly spun it to the left, jerking the entire van with him.

"Talk about whiplash!" Karma groaned as she grabbed her neck once the van halted facing sideways.

The truck behind them was indeed not expecting that move as the men inside slammed on their brakes and tried turning to the right, causing the large truck to flip over and land on its side.

"Nice!" Ben laughed. "That was totally not what I planned!"

"It works even more to our advantage." Casey sneered. "Now we've got six _injured,_ armed men to fight. This should be fun."

"You guys ready?" Ben asked as he cocked his gun.

Both women nodded.

"Then let's kick some bad guy butt." He grinned before throwing open his door and jumping out of the vehicle.

"This is so exciting!" Karma beamed, opening her own door and getting out.

"You stay here, Derek, and stay down! No matter what happens, I don't want to see your towel clad rear out of this van. You got it?" Casey demanded.

"What if I get shot?"

"You won't get shot."

"Bullets go through vans, Casey!"

"Not this van, Derek, trust me."

Derek let out a huff of breath as he looked up at her with apprehensive brown eyes, "I still don't like this, Case."

"I'll be fine." She said as she opened the sliding door. She then turned back with a small smile gracing her lips, "I appreciate your concern, however." And then she was gone out of the van, the door closing behind her, and into the dimly lit street of Boston.

_God, help her. _Derek breathed with a sigh.

(=)

10:59 PM

Casey, Ben, and Karma made sure to stay close to the rental for cover as they watched one of the front doors of the rolled over pick-up truck open up and a man with blood running down his forehead climbed out with a grunt.

Another door opened from the back this time and another injured man pulled himself out of the bed of the truck, gun in hand as he held his shoulder in pain.

"This will be too easy." Ben chuckled.

"Don't get too cocky yet, Honey Pot." Casey replied. "Even injured they could still manage to kill us. Plus, they're not the only ones with a disadvantage." She said, indicating his bullet wounded shoulder.

"Did you see the way I was driving?" He snorted. "Trust me, this is not a disadvantage."

"I'm only stating a fact."

"Whatever," Ben shook his head. "Are you with me or not?"

"Of course I'm with you. This _was_ my idea after all."

"Yes but I can tell whatever Derek said has affected you." He gave her a pointed look.

"What exactly is your relationship with Mr. Hottie hockey player, besides the whole stepsibs thing?" Karma spoke up with a glint in her eye.

"Yes, Bluebird, do tell." Ben winked.

"Are you two seriously bringing this up right now when we're about to jump these guys?"

"Yes." They both smirked.

Casey rolled her eyes and turned away from her colleagues to see that all of the men, minus one, were out of the truck and headed their way.

"Here we go." Ben breathed, gripping the gun in his good hand as he stood up, peeked around the corner of the van and fired his first shot directly into the chest of a man with a limp in his leg.

It was like slow motion had taken over as everyone watched the man grab at his chest in shock and then slowly drop face first to the gravel road beneath them.

"Kill them!" One of the men shouted and that's when all hell broke loose.

Shots were being fired from every direction as the three agents hid behind the van working out a strategy. Casey could hear Derek shouting from inside but chose to ignore him for the time being. She knew he would be fine because Mason Marz had created a kind of bullet proof shield to cover any vehicle they chose to use on a mission. It was invisible and worked well, but she still wanted Derek to stay down just in case.

"Bluebird, you go around the front and I'll take the back." Ben ordered, hollering over the noise.

"What about me?" Karma asked eagerly.

"You stay here unless we need you."

"But I can help!" The young agent frowned.

"I know, Rainforest, if we need you, we'll let you know."

Casey shot Karma a sympathetic look before making her way towards the front of the van, gun extended in front of her. She poked her head around the hood just in time to see one of the men standing there with his gun aimed at her temple. Before he had time to pull the trigger, Casey directed her gun at his gut and pulled her own trigger.

"That was too easy." She grinned as the man fell to the ground.

Out of nowhere a bullet flew just above her shoulder and clanked against the blue van. Casey turned to see another man with a balding head and black goatee sneering at her from a few feet away.

"You really think you can out smart us, Agent?" The man spoke in a deep voice.

"I believe we already have." Casey answered with a smirk.

"Well no more!" The man shouted as he raised the gun to point at her heart and was about to pull the trigger when he was suddenly shot in the neck by a tranq dart that had come from behind her.

"I thought you could use some assistance." Karma shrugged with a grin when Casey turned around to face her.

"Uh, a little help here!" Ben's voice shouted from the other side of the van.

Karma took off around the back again while Casey decided to jump up on top of the van. From her vantage point she could see Ben fighting off two men. Obviously all three had lost their guns in the battle as they all lay scattered on the ground.

The men were experienced fighters; Casey guessed by the way they carried themselves despite their injuries from the accident. One of the men did a round house kick and hit Ben hard in the chest, while the other man grabbed him by the arm and flipped him, causing Ben to slam into the ground on his back.

"Hey!" Karma shouted as she stepped out from behind the van and pointed her gun at them.

"What do we have here?" One of the men grinned.

"A pretty girl trying to be brave?" The other man chuckled.

"Maybe we'll keep this one around a bit longer for a little fun."

_Shoot them, Karma! _

The men were advancing on her with hungry looks in their eyes and Karma stood motionless with wide, terrified eyes.

_Crap! She froze!_

Casey knew she better do something quick, so she aimed her gun and pulled the trigger but nothing happened.

"Are you serious?" She whispered harshly as she inspected the gun and realized that she'd forgotten to reload and was out of darts.

"Ok, plan B." She shrugged and dropped the gun over the side of the vehicle, then grabbed the knife attached to her thigh and threw it as hard as she could at one of the men and it hit him square in the left shoulder.

The man cursed with a groan as he reached up to pull the blade from his body and cried out in pain when it was free. He glanced around to see where it had come from.

Ben was still lying on the ground, trying to regain his breath being knocked out of him, so they knew it couldn't have been him.

"There!" The other man yelled as he pointed at Casey on top of the van.

"Hello, boys." Casey waved.

The man, whom Casey had stabbed, made a dash for his gun but before he could reach it, she'd already done a flip off the roof, landed on the ground in front of him, then jumped up and smashed her fist into his nose. The man cried out as blood began oozing out. She'd obviously broken it.  
>The other man surprised her by approaching from behind and grabbing her in a headlock, Casey twisted in his grip while the other man, now steaming with fury from his broken nose and damaged shoulder made a lunge at her with the knife still in his hand.<p>

Casey managed to manoeuvre herself away from the blade and instead of the knife embedding itself in her gut; it stabbed the man holding her.

"You idiot!" The man groaned out, letting go of Casey and grabbing at his stomach to stop the bleeding.

"I... I didn't mean to!" The other man shouted with wide eyes. He dropped the knife in shock and Casey took this as her opportunity to spin around and kick him in the face. The man was about to attack her again but had suddenly fallen to the ground unconscious.

When Casey turned back to the second guy, he was also on the ground unconscious with a bleeding stomach.

She spun to see Ben still laying on the ground, rolled over on his stomach and aiming his gun her way.

"You just had to interfere." She groaned in annoyance. "I had them!"

"I can't let you take all the credit, McDonald." Ben winked with a raspy voice.

"So much for your shoulder not being a disadvantage." Casey smirked at him with hands on her hips.

"Shut up."

Casey laughed before giving him a serious face, "You going to be alright?"

"I'll be fine. Just let me rest a bit here before we start gathering bodies." He said with a sigh and rolled back onto his back, dropping the gun to his side.

Casey walked over to where Karma was leaning against the van with tears running down her face.

"I'm so sorry, Casey." The petite blonde sobbed. "I don't know what happened... I..."

Casey cut her off as she touched the young agent's cheek, "Its okay, Karma. This was your first official field combat. You're not expected to be able to stand on your own right away. Even I froze on my first mission."

"But they could've..."

"They didn't, Sweetie. Don't beat yourself up about it. Trust me, I know how you feel. You did well for your first time." Casey smiled as she pulled the distraught woman into her arms in a comforting hug that caused Casey to miss her sister even more.

"Can I come out now?" The sound of Derek's muffled voice inside of the van called out.

"You have to admit... You stepbrother is so hot." Karma grinned up at her and Casey just rolled her eyes.

(=)

Hotel near TD Garden Arena

Boston, MA

12:40 AM

After gathering up all the unconscious men on the back road, Ben had called the authorities to pick them up and hold them until morning when they could take them back to their facility for questioning. Once the police knew who they worked for, they cleaned up fast and agreed not to breathe a word of it to anyone.

Now the foursome sat in a hotel room waiting for Ben to get off the phone with the Colonel while Casey broke the news to Derek that he'd have to come back to the agency with them for protection.

"I'm sorry, Derek, but those other two men from the locker room saw your face and we don't have them in custody like the rest of the men. You need to stay with us until we know you'll be safe."

"I have another game coming up, Casey! I can't just not show up to practices and expect my team to understand. They'd kill me and I'd be kicked off for the rest of the season."

"From the looks of your last game and that fight you got into with your own teammate, I wouldn't be surprised if you're not already at least suspended." Karma pointed out as she held her laptop on her lap while she sat perched on one of the double beds in the room.

"That was _you_?" Casey raised her voice with wide eyes. "Wow, Derek, why am I not surprised?" She pursed her lips with an accusatory glare directed at her stepbrother.

Derek groaned, "It wasn't my fault!"

"So that's why you were in the locker room alone." She pieced together with a click of the tongue. "You were banned from the rest of the game."

"Look, I'm not proud of what happened. I beat up my own teammate and I deserved to be kicked out of the game, but if I'm out for the rest of the season, my career is over." He frowned as he plopped down on the opposite bed and rested his head in his hands.

Casey couldn't help but sympathize with him. Hockey meant everything to Derek. It was his dream and now that dream could be ruined...

"Can I least stop by my hotel room to grab some clothes?" Her distraught stepbrother asked as he gestured towards the towel still wrapped securely around his waist.

Casey was about to speak when Ben suddenly came out of the bathroom after speaking to their boss and answered the question for her.

"No can do, Derek. Casey's right. Those men most likely know who you are right now and are waiting for you to show up there so they can finish you off."

"So I'm supposed to parade around in a towel for the rest of the night?" Derek glowered in frustration.

"I'd say we're about the same size..." Ben said as he measured Derek with his eyes. "You can borrow something of mine until we can get you your own set of clothes."

"Fine, just give me something quickly because the draft underneath is starting to get to me."

Casey had to stifle a giggle at his confession as she turned away to stare out the window.

"So what did the Colonel say?" Karma asked as she glanced up from her computer.

"He wants us to stay put in this hotel room until the jet can pick us up in the morning." Ben replied as he dug through his suitcase and pulled out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"We're all supposed to stay in the same room with two beds?"

"It'll be too suspicious if we get separate hotel rooms under the same bill."

"But where are we all supposed to sleep?"

"I can sleep on the floor." Ben shrugged as he handed Derek the outfit.

"Thanks." Derek nodded and made his way into the bathroom to change.

"Why don't we get you a cot?" Karma questioned.

Ben shook his head, "It's too suspicious. You and Casey can share a bed if you both don't mind and Derek can have the other bed."

"Ben, you can't sleep on the floor in your condition." Casey reprimanded.

"It's fine. I'll probably be up most of the night anyway keeping watch."

"Nonsense, Benjamin," Karma shook her head. "You can sleep on the bed and I'll sleep on the floor. I'm used to sleeping on the ground anyway, considering I lived in the rainforest for six years." She smiled.

"Fine," Ben sighed, knowing there was no use in arguing with a woman when her mind was set. "I'll sleep in the bed."

"Hold on a minute," Casey held up her hand, "I can't share a bed with Ben! No offence, Benjamin, I love you and all but I have a rule about sharing beds with men I'm not married to."

Ben chuckled, "Well maybe we should get married then."

Casey narrowed her eyes at him, "I'm being serious here."

"And maybe I am too." He winked with a seductive look in his eyes that would have made the old Casey swoon but now it just made her annoyed.

"Why don't Casey and Derek share a bed then?" Karma suggested.

"What?" Casey shouted at the exact same time that Derek poked his head out of the bathroom and yelled.

"I don't see it being a problem considering you're family..." Karma shrugged with an innocent smile.

"Yeah, Casey," Ben added with a not-so-innocent smile. "He is your _brother _after all."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Derek raised his voice as he stepped out of the washroom fully clothed in a black v-neck t-shirt that hugged his hockey muscles in a very attractive way (not that Casey noticed) and navy blue jeans that also suited him _very_ well. She had to admit the sight of his tanned muscular bare chest for the last few hours had been nice. "Don't _I _get a say in this?" He asked.

"It's either share a bed with Casey or sleep on the floor, Derek." Ben shrugged. "Your choice."

"He'll sleep on the floor." Casey made the choice for him.

"No, _you_ can sleep on the floor. I think I deserve the bed after everything I've been through today."

Casey scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest, "After everything _you've _been though today? I saved your life numerous times tonight. You're lucky you're even here right now."

"Yes, I thank you and your secret, _dishonest_, double spy life for saving me tonight." Derek snapped bitterly.

Before Casey could open her mouth in retort, Ben had stepped between them and interrupted, "Look, you guys, I know you have some personal issues to sort out between each other but why don't you save the arguments until we're back home. We're all exhausted right now, so either share the bed or you both sleep on the floor."

"Fine," Derek grumbled, "I'll share the bed with her."

"Whatever." Casey replied before storming off to the bathroom and slamming the door.

Derek winced briefly before turning to the other agents with a question, "So... You guys got anything to eat?"

* * *

><p><strong>I realized that I seem to like writing scenes with Casey and Derek fighting over sharing a bed... Lol. So unintentional... <strong>

**Tell me what you thought of this chapter because I'd love to know! I really appreciate you reading and reviewing! It inspires me more in my dream to be an author someday. :D **

**THANK YOU!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey, Guys! I know it's taken a little longer with the updating but I'm trying not to get too ahead of myself... I need to write more chapters or else I'll become stressed... But anyway, I couldn't make you guys wait much longer, so here is the next chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

_Four Years Ago_

_Casey's Apartment_

_Near Queens University, Kingston_

_Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt!_

_Casey groaned as she rolled over in bed and looked at the alarm. 8:02 AM. Of course someone would be buzzing her door on her day off from work. _

_ Casey groggily pulled the covers off of her body and sat up in her very comfy bed. She stretched with a yawn, exhausted from her late night at the office, and slowly stood to her feet and began making her way towards the front door of her apartment._

_ Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt! Bzzzzt!_

_ "Hang on!" She shouted even though the person pressing the buzzer wouldn't be able to hear her from outside the building._

_ "Hello?" She croaked into the speaker box located next to the front door._

_ "Hey, Space Cadet!" Derek's voice chirped from the other end. "Let me in! I have something to tell you and it can't wait!"_

_ Casey groaned as she let her head fall against the wall and pressed the button, "Derek, when I told you it was my day off today, it meant that I didn't want to be bothered until I got some rest."_

_ "Sorry, but this couldn't wait, so open the door!"_

_ "What if I don't want to?" _

_ "Then I'll buzz all of your neighbours until one of them lets me in."_

_ "Der-ek! The last time you did that, you almost got me kicked out of this apartment!"_

_ "Then let me in and I won't." _

_ Casey could picture him smirking on the other side of the speaker box and banged her head against the wall._

_ "I hate you." She said before pressing the button that would open the door for him._

_ "Love you too, Sis!" _

_ Rolling her eyes at her stepbrother's comment, Casey unlocked her front door before stepping into the kitchen and turning on the coffee pot. She was going to need caffeine if he expected her to stay awake to hear whatever he had to tell her that couldn't have waited till later in the day._

_ "Oh how nice, you're making coffee for me." Derek said as he stood in the doorway of her kitchen with a smirk._

_ Casey shot him a death glare as she pulled a_ _mug from the cupboard._

_ "Who says you get any?" She spoke bitterly._

_ "Oh come on, Princess, lighten up. You're used to being up this early anyway."_

_ Derek walked into the kitchen and bumped her hip out of his way then pulled a second coffee mug out of the cupboard._

_ "Der-ek!"_

_ "I like your pjs by the way. Since when do you sleep in your underwear?" Derek smirked as he eyed her up and down._

_ Casey gasped when she realized she'd forgotten to throw on a robe in her lethargic state before answering the buzzer. She'd been so tired after work last night, that she'd just pulled off her pants, put on a tank top and gone to sleep. Now to her horror, she stood in front of Derek wearing only her black boy shorts underwear and a yellow tank top._

_ "Quit looking at me like that!" Casey shrieked, now fully awake, as she grabbed a dish towel from the counter and covered her bottom half._

_ Derek laughed as he turned away from her and Casey hurriedly ran from the room to change._

_ "It's not that bad, Case! I've seen you in a bikini before, which revealed a lot more." He shouted with a grin._

_ "Shut up!" She shouted back from her bedroom as she grabbed her robe hanging on the back of her door and pulled it on making sure to tie it securely around her waist._

_ "You are ridiculous." Derek rolled his eyes when Casey entered the kitchen again._

_ "Underwear is more personal, Derek. How would you like it if I saw you in only your boxers?"_

_ "Actually, I wear boxer briefs and I really wouldn't mind. In fact, how about I show you now just so we're even." He said as he started to unbutton his jeans._

_ "No!" Casey cried and covered her eyes. "If you remove those pants, Derek, I swear I will..."_

_ "Relax, Casey. It was just a joke." Derek chuckled with a shake of his head. _

_ "You're so immature." _

_ "And you're such a prude."_

_ "I am not!"_

_ "If you can't even handle seeing a guy in underwear without covering your eyes, then yes you are."_

_ "I can handle seeing guys in underwear just as long as they're not you."_

_ "Touché." He said with a raise of his mug as he grabbed the steaming coffee pot from its holder and began to pour the fresh smelling brew inside his cup._

_ "So what did you have to tell me that was so important that you had to buzz my apartment on my day off?" Casey asked and grabbed the coffee pot from him when he was done and poured her own drink._

_ "Oh right!" Derek's eyes brightened after he took a sip from his mug and set it down on the counter. "You are never going to believe what happened to me yesterday!"_

_ "You finally became a man?" Casey smirked as she held the mug to her lips and blew into the steam swirling at the top._

_ Derek ignored her comment as he spoke, "Remember when I told you that there would be some hockey scouts at my next game?"_

_ Casey nodded._

_ "Well I got a call yesterday from two different NHL coaches, both offering me a spot on their team starting next season!"_

_ "That's awesome, Derek!" Casey smiled and then paused. "Wait... You can play for two teams?"_

_ Derek rolled his eyes, "No, Miss. Smarty pants, I have to _choose_ which one I want to play for. They said they'd each give me a week to decide."_

_ "Which teams were they?"_

_ "The Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks."_

_ Casey nodded as she took a sip from her coffee, "So do you know which one you'd rather play for?"_

_ Derek sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, "No... They're both pretty great teams... I don't know how I'm going to decide..."_

_ "Make a pros and cons list for each one." Casey shrugged._

_ "And be a keener like you?" Derek scoffed._

_ "They help, Derek." She glared at him with her free hand on her hip._

_ "Alright, alright. No need for the third degree." He said with his hands raised in surrender._

_ "Good. Now go home, make your list, and let me sleep." She said and set down her mug before ushering him towards the door._

_ "Fine, but can I pick you up later to celebrate over dinner?"_

_ Before Casey could reply, her cell phone started ringing from inside her room and she ran to answer it, recognizing the ringtone she'd set for work._

_ "McDonald speaking." She answered, ignoring Derek peeking through her doorway at her with a raised brow._

_ "Agent McDonald, we need you at the office immediately." Colonel Kluess spoke with an edge to his voice. The Colonel never called her phone._

_ Casey turned away from the doorway so that Derek couldn't hear her, "What's wrong, Sir? Is everything okay?"_

_ "There's been another attack. Just get here as soon as you can." He said before the line went dead._

_ "Who was that?" Derek questioned from behind her._

_ "I... um... It was work." Casey replied, trying to hide her shock. "There's been an emergency and they need me to come in."_

_ "This is your first day off in over a month, Case. They can't just expect you to..."_

_Derek stopped midsentence when Casey unexpectedly dropped her robe and grabbed a pair of skinny jeans from the middle drawer of her dresser and began pulling them on._

_ "I guess they can." He said with a shake of his head before waving bye to her and heading out the door. "So much for celebrating with me..."_

(=)

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_9:08 AM_

"_I am sorry I had to call the two of you in on your day off but like I said before, you're all I have right now." Colonel Kluess spoke to Casey and Benjamin with a grim expression as he paced the front of the Mission Room instead of taking a seat at the table._

_ "We understand, Sir." Casey nodded. _

_ "What happened?" Ben asked eagerly as he placed his hands on top of the table._

"_Was anyone hurt?"_

_ Kluess let out a depressing sigh as he spoke, "A secret government Agency in France was infected with Potion X. Over half of their agents have been hospitalized."_

_ "Oh my..." Casey gasped as she brought a hand up to her mouth in shock._

_ "So we were right." Ben shook his head sadly. "They are targeting every secret agency."_

_ "And we could be next." Kluess voiced what they were all thinking._

_ "So what do we do now?" Casey asked, trying to stay calm and collected._

_ "For now, I've asked Marz to double up on Chip's security functions and passwords. I want the two of you on a plane to France immediately and find out whatever you can."_

_ "We're on it, Sir." Ben said as they both stood from their seats._

_ "And be careful. I can't afford to lose you two as well."_

_ "Yes, Sir."_

(=)

_Bonjour Café _

_Paris, France_

_6:13 PM_

_As a little girl, Casey dreamt about going to France someday; visiting the many museums and historical sites while falling madly in love and having her first kiss under the Eiffel Tower. Instead, her first visit to France consisted of investigating a secret government agency that was hidden underneath a coffee shop downtown. It had been attacked the other day by Potion X, so she and Ben had to wear bio-hazard suits yet again while making their way underground._

_ "Why can't we have a secret underground lair?" Ben asked as they followed Agent Luke Francois down a narrow tunnel lit up by lights on the wall. "This makes me feel more like a spy." _

_ Casey shivered, "I find it a little creepy..."_

_ "I need you to step back while I enter the entrance code." Agent Francois spoke in a heavy foreign accent once they hit the end of the tunnel where a large metal door stood with a keypad on the side. "We had to change all of our access codes after the incident and now we trust no one." He said with a sneer and quickly pressed buttons on the keypad while glancing back to make sure they weren't watching him._

_ Casey glanced at Ben who was making a face at the French agent behind his back. She had to stifle a giggle as the door beeped and opened up for them to step through._

_ Before Ben could get by Agent Francois stopped him with a hand to his chest and glared into his eyes, "If you are done making faces behind my back, I will let you continue through. This is a serious matter, Agent Blake. Over half of our agents have been infected by that horrid red poison, and I get sent two rookie agents to represent this case?" The man scoffed. _

_ "I... I meant no disrespect, Sir." Ben apologized quickly. "And you're right, we are rookies but we promise to help out in whatever way we can."_

_ "Then proceed." The French man nodded and stepped aside for Ben to walk through the door along with Casey._

_ They continued through a corridor with metal walls on each side until they stopped at another metal door with a keypad. This time Ben kept a straight face as they watched the man enter a code and the door opened wide into a large room that once contained work stations where at least thirty or so agents sat occupied at computers, now it was covered in the red substance known as potion X._

_ "How exactly did this happen, Agent Francois?" Casey asked as she and her partner gaped at the scene before them._

_ The man turned with a grim expression veiled behind the yellow helmet of the suits they each adorned. _

_ "Someone brought the cursed poison into our structure and let it loose around three fifteen, yesterday afternoon. We have no leads so far. Whoever is responsible is either among the agents infected, or has escaped and walks among us now."_

_ "So you're saying it was for sure someone from the inside?" Ben questioned._

_ "Of course it was!" The man snapped. "How else could the red disease get past our security?"_

_ Ben chose to ignore the man's brash tone and instead began to walk towards a desk that was splattered with the red remains of the potion. He knelt to inspect the area and pulled out a tooth pick and a vial from the case he carried with him. He needed a sample to take back to Mason._

_ Casey, on the other hand, decided to inspect another area that caught her attention at another desk. She noticed that at each work place a vial of the potion had been placed somewhere discreetly where the agents wouldn't see them until too late, like: under the desk, behind a picture frame, etc... _

_ "It would have taken some time to place each vial at each desk..." Casey spoke aloud as she turned back to the Agent in charge. "You have a video feed hooked up, correct?"_

_ "Yes, we already thought of that," The French man nodded, "but it somehow malfunctioned on us around midnight last night."_

_ "The same time your agent was preparing for the attack."_

_ "And you didn't find any prints that seemed suspicious?" Ben asked._

_ "No. They must have been wearing gloves, which they would know to do considering they're a government spy."_

_ "And all of the agents that have been hospitalized all show the same symptoms: comatose state, red, blotchy skin and white paste covered eyes?"_

_ "Yes."_

_ Casey shook her head. She couldn't understand how an agent, sworn to protect, could just go rogue like this and harm the people they work with?_

_ "Has anyone been acting strange lately; shown signs of secrecy...?" Ben continued to question the French agent._

_ Francois shook his head solemnly, "Not that I have noticed."_

_ "How many agents, besides you, were unharmed during the attack?"_

_ "Twenty-five and they're all being questioned as we speak."_

_ "What about you?"_

_ "What about me?"_

_ "Have you been questioned?"_

_ Agent Francois turned red in the face as he took a menacing step towards Benjamin, "Are you suggesting that I had something to do with this?" He growled bitterly._

_ "No, I'm just asking a question. Everyone, including you, Agent Francois, is a suspect. I was just asking if you've been questioned as well."_

_ "Yes, for your information, I have." The man spat._

_ "Ok." Ben smiled. "I was just curious."_

_ "How long have the two of you been on field assignment?" Agent Francois asked, obviously beyond irritated now with the rookie agents from Canada sent to investigate his secret agency._

_ "A couple of weeks." Ben shrugged nonchalantly. He wasn't about to let the man get to him._

_ "You're not the only one who's had agents infected with the potion." Casey pointed out. She didn't care much for the French man's attitude. "And just because we're rookies, it doesn't mean we haven't been trained well and don't know what we're doing."_

_ Ben raised an amused brow her way, surprised at her boldness towards Francois._

_ The French man had no comeback to her remark as he cleared his throat, "Just hurry up doing whatever it is you need to do in here and get out. This is still my agency and my country that I need to take care of."_

_ "Yes, Sir." Ben mock saluted with a smirk as he and Casey exchanged glances._

_ Agent Francois scowled them before turning his attention back out the door to speak with another French agent._

_ "I think he likes us." Her partner grinned with sarcasm as he approached her._

_ Casey rolled her eyes. Sometimes Ben reminded her of someone else she knew..._

_ "So if each of those vials were set up individually, then they must have been remote triggered somehow to explode at the same time." Ben said as he picked up one of the small containers and examined it. "Ah ha!" He cried when he turned it over. "Look at this."_

_ Casey stood next to Ben and he showed her the bottom of the vial where a tiny button-like piece was placed. He picked up another vial that had the exact same thing._

_ "This must be the trigger."_

_ "That is some technology." _

_ "We should take a sample back to Mason. He'd love to study this." Ben said as he placed one of the vials inside a plastic bag and placed it in his case._

_ "We better go before Agent Francois starts fussing about us 'Rookies' again." Casey said as she nodded towards the French man glaring at them from the doorway._

_ "I think we're done here anyway." Ben nodded. "Time to fly back home and solve this case before Potion X decides to find more unwilling victims."_

(=)

_Outside of Bonjour Café _

_7:18 Pm_

_Casey and Ben had just finished removing their bio-hazard suits and stepped outside of the covert café when Casey's phone started ringing from inside her pocket. She glanced at Ben before digging it out and pushing talk._

_ "Hello?"_

_ "Casey, its Phil." An eager voice replied on the other end._

_ "Oh hey, Phil. You know I'm away on assignment, right?" She raised a brow, curious as to why her former handler would be calling her in France._

_ "Yes, the Colonel wanted me to inform you to stay in a hotel tonight on the Agency's budget. It's late and he wants the two of you to rest up before returning on the flight back."_

_ "Well we can always rest on the plane..."_

_ "No," Phil raised his voice. "You and your partner get a hotel and enjoy your night off in Paris. It's the Colonel's orders."_

"_But I thought he wanted us back immediately with the information we collected here... not to mention the samples..."_

_ "I guess he changed his mind." _

_ "Ok... Well thanks for letting us know..."_

_ "You're welcome, Casey." He said and there was a slight pause before he cleared his throat and spoke. "You're a good agent and I am blessed to have trained you. Be careful."_

_ "Thanks..." _

_ "I must go now. Good bye, Agent McDonald."_

_ "See you tomorrow?"_

_ Instead of a reply the line went dead._

_ "That was strange..." Casey said as she turned to Ben who had been watching her curiously._

_ "What was that about?"_

_ "I guess the Colonel wants us to stay in a hotel tonight and return on the jet tomorrow."_

_ "Seriously?"_

_ "According to Phil." She shrugged. "He sounded different... like he was anxious about something... and he said goodbye to me as if we'd never see each other again..."_

_ "That is odd." Ben said as he scratched his head of blonde locks. "But if the Colonel wants us to stay, then I guess we have no other choice."_

_ Casey let out a sigh, "Yeah... but wouldn't he want us to at least report back about what we found out?"_

_ Ben shook his head with a smile as he placed an arm around his partner's shoulders, "Don't worry about it, Casey. We'll see everyone tomorrow and we'll inform them then. Right now, you should be thinking about the fact that we get to spend a night in Paris, the city of love." He winked at her._

_ Casey blushed and avoided his green eyes staring at her, "I have to admit, I was a tad bit disappointed that we'd be in Paris for only a couple of hours and not even get to site see."_

_ Ben grinned, "That's the spirit! We should be thanking Colonel Kluess, not second guessing him. Now let's go find us an expensive hotel to spend the night in."_

_ "As long as we get separate rooms." Casey narrowed her eyes at him._

_ Ben laughed, "What kind of guy do you think I am?"_

_ "I'm still trying to decide." She grinned before flipping her hair and walking towards their rental car. _

_ "We're going to have some fun tonight." Ben whistled from behind her._

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks so much for the reviews! And everything else! You guys are Awesome! <strong>

**Let me know what you thought of this chapter... or if you have any predictions for future chapters, etc... I'd love to know!**

**You Rock!**


	14. Chapter 14

**I know most of you prefer the Present chapters, which is understandable, but the past ones are important to the story as well. At least I make sure to give you more of the Present chapters. :)**

**This chapter is pretty angst filled... Which reminds me, my mom and stepdad had no idea what angst meant when I was telling them about a new song I just wrote today that is filled with angst considering it's about a friend who I'm done with because she's used me all my life and never actually been a true friend to me like I'd hoped for... but anyway, it made me laugh that they didn't know what the word meant. Haha!**

**Let me know what you think... and enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14<strong>

Hotel near TD Garden Arena

Boston, MA

6:04 AM

Casey opened her eyes after having a terrible dream where Derek had found out about her double life and now Haldega's men were out to kill them. She let out a tired sigh, thankful that it was only a nightmare and rolled over in bed to come face-to-face with said Stepbrother. A shrill scream erupted from her lungs as Casey threw herself out of the covers and stood to the floor.

"What? What? Did they find us?" Derek cried as he opened his eyes and jumped out of bed in surprise.

Ben groaned from where he slept in the bed next to them, "Would you two keep it down? I'm trying to sleep."

"Casey, what are you screaming about?" Karma asked as her half-asleep blonde tousled head peeked up from the floor on the other side of Ben's bed.

Casey stared at Derek and her partners with wide horrified eyes as she clutched her beating heart, "It was real? You really are here?"

"Case-y," Derek groaned as he glared at her and lay back down on the bed, "You may be a bad-ass secret spy now, but you're still a drama queen." He said before pulling the blankets over his frame and closing his eyes.

"I'm sorry I woke you guys..." Casey apologised to her colleagues as she ran a trembling hand through her hair.

"We still have another two hours before the jet arrives. Try to relax, Casey." Ben informed her with his eyes still closed.

"You going to be alright?" Karma asked with concern for her partner and friend.

Casey nodded warily, "Y-yeah... I just had a bad dream is all..."

_A bad dream that turned out to be REAL!_

"Do you want to talk about it?" Karma asked with a yawn.

Casey shook her head with a grateful smile, "No, I'm fine. You can go back to sleep."

"I advise you do the same." The young blonde said as she lay back down on the floor, disappearing from Casey's view.

Casey stared down at the bed, which occupied her slumbering stepbrother and knew there was no way she could fall asleep in the same bed as Derek again, so instead she grabbed a change of clothes and went into the bathroom to have a shower.

_Derek knows my secret... _She thought to herself as she stared at her reflection in the mirror. _Derek knows that I'm a spy... _

Casey shook her head as she gripped the counter top.

_So now he knows... that means I don't have to lie to him anymore... Which is a plus. _She smiled. _But now his life is in danger because he knows... _The smile turned into a frown.

_What am I going to do?_

(=)

R.E.D. Private Jet

Somewhere over the Ocean

9:32 AM

Casey stared out the window at the amazing expanse of clear blue water below her and tried not to stress about what the rest of the day would bring. She knew that once they made it back to Toronto, they'd have to report back to headquarters immediately and explain to their boss how Haldega escaped once again, killing Reynolds, retrieving the QT7 chip, and how her stepbrother now knew her secret and needed protection from the Agency because Haldega's men wanted to kill him. It all made her head hurt drastically.

"Hey, I know you're trying to avoid the inevitable by sitting here alone and staring out the window, but you seriously need to explain protocol to Derek." Ben said as he took a seat in the chair across from her.

Casey groaned and turned to glare at her partner, "Why can't you?"

"Because he's your stepbrother." Ben smirked at her.

"So? You're just as capable to talk to him."

"Yes, but I think it would be better if he heard it from you."

Casey let out a sigh as she set her elbows on her knees and let her head drop in her hands, "Derek is mad at me, Benjamin. Can't you see? He hates me for lying to him all these years and for endangering my life the way I do."

Ben grinned, matching her pose on his good arm, as he leaned towards her, "Which only proves that he cares deeply about you."

Casey grimaced and turned her head from him, "Why do you insist on this ridiculous notion that Derek and I are more than stepsiblings?"

"Because you obviously are."

"We are not!"

"Say what you want, Casey, but I have a knack for knowing these things." Ben said as he tapped his head with his forefinger while smiling.

"You have a knack for being delusional." Casey scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest.

At that moment, Derek chose to enter their part of the cabin through the maroon curtain at the back with a tray of food in his hands and huge grin plastered to his face.

"Man, I have got to get me a private jet! Do you know they have a whole kitchen stocked with delicious treats and beverages?" He asked as he turned to the two agents sitting together.

Ben laughed and Casey rolled her eyes.

"Well this is my cue to leave." Ben said as he stood up.

"No!" Casey said as she grabbed his arm in desperation. "You can't leave me with him!" She whispered harshly.

Ben lifted a hand to his ear in the direction of the curtain and shouted, "What's that, Karma? You need me to discuss more field techniques?"

Casey glowered at him, "I didn't hear anything."

Ben pulled his arm from her grasp with a smirk, "I guess I have better hearing than you. Good luck." He winked and walked out of the cabin.

Casey groaned, "Stupid Benjamin!"

"So... um... is there anything going on between you and Ben?" Derek suddenly asked from where he sat in the aisle across from her chewing on a piece of chicken.

"No, we're just friends, and he's been my partner for four years."

"Oh come on, Casey," Derek scoffed. "The guy looks like a supermodel. I'm as straight as they come and even I will admit that he is extremely attractive."

"So." Casey shrugged.

"So," Derek said, dragging the word for emphasis, "there is no way you two have been working together all these years and not have had some kind of romantic feelings for one another."

Casey blushed and turned away from his patronizing gaze, "Why do you care anyway?"

Derek shrugged and stuffed a spoonful of rice in his mouth, "I'm just curious."

"Derek, don't talk with your mouth full." Casey chided disgustedly.

Derek rolled his eyes and swallowed his food before choosing his next words, "Anyway... What do you and your cohorts plan on doing with me once we get back to Toronto?"

_Here it is... _Casey sighed. _The conversation I did not want to have right now..._

"Well... Karma did some digging and Haldega's men definitely know who you are. I guess they visited your hotel room last night and your teammates told them they had no idea where you were."

"Well what about that body you guys said was outside the locker room... Didn't someone find it?"

Casey shook her head, "Haldega's men cleaned it up. Besides your disappearance, the public is unaware of anything that went on last night."

"You mean no one heard the shooting and the epic fight that took place on that road?"

"We were on a deserted street. Nobody heard anything. Plus we already explained to the Boston authorities what happened and they are under strict oath not to breathe a word to anyone about the happenings of last night. In their records, it never happened."

Derek let out a sigh as he set his food tray on the seat beside him and ran a hand through his hair before turning to look at her, "So what exactly is the public saying about my disappearance?"

"Not much." Casey shrugged. "After your little performance last night, they believe that you fled the arena in shame and didn't want to face your team at the moment."

"That's it?" Derek gaped. "They don't even care that I could have been kidnapped or murdered?"

"There's no evidence to prove otherwise, Derek."

"So then what are your plans with me now that I'm wanted by killers?"

"We plan to keep you safe until we can bring Haldega and his industries down."

"That could take weeks or months..." Derek's eyes widened in realization.

Casey let out a breath, "Derek, I understand your concern but you have no choice. Haldega now believes that you are a witness and he wants nothing more than to kill you before word gets out."

"But I'm not even a witness!" Derek cried. "I'm an innocent bystander who has just had his life turned upside down because his keener stepsister decided to become a secret spy and beat up criminals in his locker room!"

"Derek, calm down."

"No, Casey!" Derek stood up with a heated expression on his face. "You have no idea what this will do to me. My career is over! What am I supposed to do now? You seriously expect me to just sit around and wait until you catch the bad guy while the world thinks I disappeared because I'm ashamed of myself? This is crap!"

"Derek..."

"Just leave me alone, Casey; you and your stupid secret life!" Derek yelled as he shot her a vicious glare and departed though the front curtain where the washrooms were located.

Casey let her head fall into her hands once again as a tear fell from her eye.

"Hey, is everything alright? We heard shouting." Ben said as he and Karma cautiously entered the cabin from the rear. "Where is Derek?"

"He freaked out and left; no thanks to you." Casey snapped as she stood up.

"Casey, are you crying?" Karma asked with concern.

"I didn't want this! I used to think that him knowing my secret would make everything easier but now he hates me! According to Derek, I've ruined his life, and you know what? I agree!" Casey yelled through tears and stormed out the way they had come before her partners could say anything to stop her.

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

Toronto, Ontario

1:54 PM

"What you see here, Derek, can never be revealed to anyone." Ben instructed as the three agents and distraught hockey player entered the elevator of the R.E.D. building.

"It's not like I'll have the chance to tell anyone since I can't show my face in public anymore." Derek grumbled as the doors closed.

Casey stood in the corner and stared down at the floor with remorse. She hadn't said a word to anyone since they'd landed an hour ago and Derek wouldn't even look at her.

Benjamin decided not to comment as he pressed number twenty-three and the key pad popped out of the side. He then entered twenty-three and fifteen at the same time and the voice of Chip responded as the red scanner lit up the enclosure, startling Derek who jumped back in shock.

"Good afternoon, Agents Benjamin Blake, Casey McDonald and Karma Hesston. There is an intruder among you." The computer pointed out when the scanning was complete.

"It's alright, Chip. This is Derek Venturi. He is an ally in need of protection from the Agency." Ben replied.

The elevator lit up in red again as Chip spoke, "Derek Michael Venturi. Birth: 10 23 1988. NHL star forward from Toronto Maple Leafs."

Derek's eyes lit up in astonishment, "How did he know that?"

"Chip is a computer, Derek. He can find out anything about you just by scanning you."

"Sweet."

"Yeah, he's pretty impressive." Ben smiled.

"You may proceed." Chip said as the elevator doors opened with a ding onto the main office floor.

"You might as well sit tight in Casey's office while we speak to the Colonel." Ben said to Derek. "Karma can assist you in locating it."

Derek nodded and followed the perky blonde agent down the corridor of offices and rooms without another glance back.

"Are you still angry with me, Casey?" Ben questioned as the two partners began making their way towards Colonel Kluess' office. "I said I was sorry..."

Casey sighed, "I'm not mad at you, Ben. It's me that I hate right now."

"Why? Derek finding out was not your fault, Casey. If you hadn't been in that locker room when you were, Derek would be dead."

"I know," Casey groaned, "but I still ruined his life."

"No, you _saved_ his life. Haldega is the one you should be blaming right now, so quit beating yourself up."

Casey smiled up at her partner, grateful for his encouraging words over the years, "Thanks, Ben. You're right."

"And don't worry about Derek. He'll come around. He's still in shock from everything that's happened. Trust me; there is no way that anyone could hate you." He said as he pulled her into his side and kissed the top of her head affectionately.

"Well besides all the criminals I've locked up over the years..." Casey grinned up at him.

Ben laughed, "Let's be thankful they're trapped behind bars then."

Casey laughed along with him but on the inside she still felt horrible. She wondered what the Colonel would say. Would he demand that Derek be put into the Witness Protection Program under an Alias until they caught Haldega and his men?

_They couldn't just whisk him away like that... Could they? _The young agent wondered. _He's practically a celebrity... What would the world think? What would our family think? _Casey's eyes widened in terror at the thought of Simon and Marti believing their eldest brother and hero to be dead.

"No! We can't let that happen!" Casey shouted aloud.

"Can't let what happen?" Ben stared down at her with an amused expression and a quirked brow.

Casey blushed and looked up at her partner with a wary expression, "Um... well... you don't think the Agency will send Derek into Witness Protection do you?"

Ben shrugged with a sympathetic look, "I honestly don't know, Casey. Whatever the Colonel deems necessary in order to keep your stepbrother safe is up to him. I know it will be hard but Derek's safety is the number one concern right now."

"I know." Casey sighed sadly. "I just keep thinking about our family and how Derek suddenly disappearing will affect them, especially Marti and Simon. They look up to Derek and would be lost without him. Plus I couldn't stand the thought of Derek being transported to another province or country without us there to protect him."

"Well I guess we'll find out what the verdict is now." Ben said and Casey realized they were standing in front of Kluess' office.

Casey sucked in a breath as she stared at the large glass door before them and tentatively knocked three times.

"Come in." Their boss ordered from the inside.

Casey glanced up at Ben and he nodded reassuringly as she twisted the metal handle and the door opened allowing the agents to step into the large room.

Colonel Kluess sat at his desk talking on the phone as Casey closed the door behind them and the partners waited for him to finish his conversation.

"Yes, they just arrived now. I'll talk to you later." The brawny man said and hung up the phone, placing it on the top of his desk and standing up.

"Hello, Sir." Ben spoke up with a nod.

Kluess dipped his chin in return as he adjusted the blue tie around his neck and approached them.

"We came straight here from the airport." Casey said, avoiding the big man's serious gaze. "Just as you requested."

"Where is he?" Kluess asked with a grim expression.

"Who? Derek?"

"Your brother, yes."

"Well actually he's my stepbrother..." Casey began to speak and a nudge from Ben told her it was not the time to be correcting the man in charge of them.

"I told Karma to take him to Casey's office while we spoke to you." Ben cleared his throat.

"How much does he know?"

_Enough to hate me forever. _Casey thought with a frown.

"He only knows that Haldega is a wanted criminal who killed a guy outside of his change room which caused his men to be suspicious of him being a witness since he'd been in the locker room at the time." Replied Ben.

"We explained to him that Heldega's men intend to kill him and that we need to keep him safe." Casey added.

Kluess took a seat on the edge of his desk with a thoughtful gaze upon the two agents, "So... Did he actually witness the killing?"

Casey shook her head, "No, Sir. He was getting ready for a shower. I however saw the whole incident."

Their boss nodded, "Is Derek trustworthy?"

"Yes, Sir. Derek is nothing but an innocent bystander."

"Then why was he in the change room while the game was still happening?"

"Apparently he lost his temper on the ice and hit his own teammate, so the coach suspended him from the rest of the game." Ben answered.

"And he knew nothing about you being a spy, Agent McDonald?"

Casey shook her head profusely, "No, Sir. I never broke the code. Derek had no idea about me until he witnessed me tranquillize one of Haldega's men. I had no idea it was even him that was in the change room."

Kluess nodded, "I believe you. You're an outstanding agent, Miss. McDonald and I know you never intended for this to happen."

"Thank you, Sir." Casey dipped her head and took a step towards him. "Um... Have you decided what we should do with Derek for the time being?"

The Colonel sighed, "Well... the only option is that he goes into Witness Protection..."

"Wait, Sir," Ben interrupted. "May I suggest another idea?"

"Go ahead."

Casey looked up at Ben with a curious expression.

_What is he up to?_

"Why doesn't Derek just stay with Casey?"

"What?" Casey exclaimed.

Ben placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her quiet.

"I'm sure Derek would feel much more comfortable staying with someone who is a family member. Plus she can protect him. It's better than having him taken away to God knows where."

"I don't know..." Kluess said as he stroked his chin in thought.

"The poor guy's been through a lot, Sir. At least this way, we know he'll be properly protected."

Colonel Kluess thought it over for a moment before he stood up straight and nodded his head, "Fine. The man can stay with Agent McDonald."

"Wait... Don't I get a say in this matter?" Casey spoke up.

"What's there to say?"

"Well... I... um..."

"I thought you didn't want Derek to be taken away?" Ben looked at her in bewilderment.

"I didn't... I mean I don't..."

"Then it's settled. Mr. Venturi will move in with Agent McDonald immediately." Their boss said with a smile as walked back around his desk and took a seat.

"You two may leave now and I will see you in the morning." Kluess said as he picked up his phone and dialled a button.

Casey and Ben both nodded their heads and exited the office, closing the door behind them.

"You did that on purpose!" Casey turned on Ben the minute they were out of earshot and smacked his arm.

Ben smirked at her, "Oh come on, Casey; you should be thanking me. Now at least you can keep an eye on Derek."

"Yes but I also have to _live _with him!" She snapped.

"You practically live with him already." Her partner rolled his eyes.

"He stayed at my house for two nights; now he'll be staying there for who knows how long!"

"Casey, quit overreacting."

"Derek hates me, Ben! And now I have to live with him while he's angry with me!"

"He does not hate you. Now at least you two can talk about this in a civil manner."

"Derek and I have never been civil with each other!"

"It's because of all the UST you two have been holding in for far too long." Ben muttered under his breath with a chuckle.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing." He grinned and continued down the hall.

(=)

Casey's Apartment

8:22 PM

"So, Mason has set up a security system within your apartment. If anyone tries to get in, they'll have to deal with Chip." Ben smiled as he pointed towards the metal box with a blinking red light above the inside of Casey's front door.

"He installed Chip into my apartment?" Casey stared up at the device with amazement.

"Yep, the world's best security system is now in your house."

"Thank you for the compliment, Agent Blake." Chip's computerized voice spoke from the metal box.

"So I'm being held captive by a talking computer?" Derek frowned with disgust.

"You're not being held captive, Derek. Chip is here to protect you." Ben responded.

"Yes, but I'm not allowed to leave the apartment, so technically Chip is now my prison guard."

"Derek, we're just thinking of your safety!" Casey snapped at him. She was becoming annoyed with his ungrateful attitude. "Would you rather walk outside and have a bullet shot through your head?"

"I would rather that _none_ of this was happening right now. I would _rather_ be playing hockey right now and training for the next game!" He snapped at her.

"Well you can't because this _is_ happening right now whether you like it or not!"

Derek groaned as he shot her one last nasty look before retreating to the guest bedroom, which was now his bedroom, and slammed the door.

"Was that civil enough for you?" Casey turned to her partner with her arms folded against her chest and a death glare directed at him.

Ben raised his eyebrows and shrugged, "At least he chose to go to his room instead of continuing to fight with you..."

"I would prefer him to stay so that we could yell at each other some more. It's better than him not talking to me at all." Casey sulked. "I can't stand him being mad at me, Ben. It hurts too much."

"Just give him some time. He's just had his life temporarily ripped from his hands. Of course he's going to be mad."

"But what if it's not temporary? What if we never catch Haldega?"

Ben scoffed, "This is Bluebird and Honey Pot you're talking about! The best secret agents out there! No one can escape our clutches!"

Casey forced a smile. She knew he was trying to cheer her up but she couldn't stop thinking of everything that had been happening this past week. Phil was alive and threatening to harm her family if she didn't comply to his demands, forcing her to become a double agent; Haldega, one of the world's most deadliest men, was still on the loose and plotting something evil; Derek found out that she is a spy and now has to go into hiding because Haldega wants to kill him, which resulted to him hating her guts and being forced to live as a prisoner in her apartment guarded by Chip.

Ben's voice broke through her thoughts as he placed his good arm around her shoulder and stared into her eyes, "Do you want me to stay for a while until things cool down between you two?"

Before Casey could reply she felt a vibration in her back pocket and dread seeped through her interior.

"I... um..."

Music from Derek's room started blasting loudly and Casey let out a sigh. She knew Derek only blasted his music like that when he was really frustrated about something.

"Casey?" Ben waited for her reply.

"I'm sorry, Ben, I'd love that but honestly I'm beat and should try to get some sleep." Casey lied, forcing a fake yawn to escape her mouth.

"Are you sure?"

The phone continued to vibrate.

"Yes, I'm sure. Thanks. I'll see you tomorrow at work." She said as she tried to usher him out the front door.

Ben gave her a curious look, "Is everything alright? You're acting like the room is on fire."

"Yes, Ben, I'm fine. I'm just suddenly really tired, so you need to leave now."

The vibrating increased and she knew if she didn't answer it soon, Phil would become angry.

"Bye." Casey said before closing the door on her partner's face and locking it.

She immediately grabbed the black vibrating phone from her pocket and clicked on the talk button before bringing it to her ear.

"Hello?"

* * *

><p><strong>Another cliffhanger... Sorry. I actually wanted to put the conversation between Casey and Phil in this chapter but then I realized that the chapter was already really long, so I had to save it for the next one, which you will get in the next update, don't worry. <strong>

**Thanks for all the reviews and for reading my story, etc, etc... I really appreciate it! You guys definitely support me in my writing and make me feel good about myself and the passion God has given me for it. Hopefully one day you can read something that is 100% created by me. :)**

**If you want to leave a review, they are always welcome and honestly make my days even better when I get to read them. Thanks so much!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks for the Reviews! Let me know what you think of this chapter... It continues right where it ended in Chapter 14. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

Casey's Apartment

8:30 PM

"Hello?" Casey answered the phone, trying to keep her voice down in case Derek was listening, which was doubtful considering his deafening music.

"You've really got to pick up the speed when answering my calls." Phil's voice replied on the other line.

"Yeah, well, sorry if I have a life." Casey snapped back.

"Again with the attitude? Does grumpiness just come naturally or do my phone calls make you irritated?"

Casey sighed. She was really not in the mood for this. He always seemed to call at the wrong times.

"Could you please just get on with whatever it is you want me to do while threatening to harm my family members?"

"Well if you insist..." He let out a breath and she pictured him sneering as he spoke. "I actually have a question for you first."

"What?"

"Did you know that Greggor Haldega now has the QT7 chip in his possession?"

Casey gasped, "How did you know about that?"

"Like I said, dear Casey, I have eyes and ears everywhere. I know R.E.D. has been trying to stop Haldega for a long time."

"And why does this concern you anyway?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"If you're withholding information that the secret government should know then you need to tell me."

"Ohhh... Now I see why you were all snappy with me on the phone..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I interrupted your little visit with Agent Blake. I didn't realize you two were an item now."

"What? How do you know he was here?"

"Well I'm watching him get into his car as we speak."

"Excuse me?" Casey's eyes widened in shock. "You're outside my apartment?"

"I always knew you two liked each other."

"What are you doing outside my apartment, Phil?" Casey raised her voice with alarm.

"Oh right, back to what we were discussing..." He paused. "I have some classified information for you but in order for me to tell you anything, you have to come outside."

Casey glanced warily in the direction of Derek's room, "I can't just leave my apartment at the moment, and plus I don't trust you."

"Well you're going to have to if you want what I have." He taunted. "Trust me, Casey, because it could help in your mission to catch Haldega."

_Trust Phillip Greenwood? The man who betrayed me and the world? The man who is threatening the lives of my family? He's got to be kidding me!_

"You've got to be kidding me! How can I trust a criminal?"

"Because believe it or not, Casey; I am on your side."

"If you were on my side then you would leave my family alone."

"How else would I get you to abide by my rules and not turn me in to the Agency?"

"You should be turning yourself into the Agency right now."

"Look, Casey, I am risking a lot right now just talking to you. Either you get your spy butt out here and listen to what I have to say, or don't and let Haldega continue with his evil scheme to destroy the world."

"_You're_ risking a lot?" Casey scoffed. "I'm the one talking to a _dead_ man!"

"Damnit, Casey!" Phil snapped angrily. "Just get out here!"

"Fine!" She snapped back. "But this better be good."

This time Casey was the one to hang up on him as she placed the phone back in her pocket and let out a frustrated growl.

"I detect aggravation and confusion, Agent McDonald." Chip's voice spoke up almost scaring the crap out of her as Casey jumped back. She'd forgotten Chip was installed in her house now.

_Oh no! _Casey thought with horror stricken eyes. _Chip is in my house! That means he just overheard my whole conversation with Phil! Crap! Crap! Crap!_

"Now I detect panic." The computer continued to speak to her.

Casey tried to calm down her nerves as she spoke to the security system, "Um... Chip... I have to step outside for a moment. Can you make sure no one else enters or leaves this apartment?"

"Affirmative, Agent McDonald."

"Thanks. I'll be right back." She said and exited the apartment before Chip could detect any other emotions she was feeling at the moment.

(=)

8:41 PM

Derek sat on the bed in Casey's guest bedroom with his head in his hands as he blasted the stereo at full volume. Loud music always seemed to relax him when he was feeling tense or upset about something.

After he'd blown up at Casey and stormed into the room, he stopped to listen at the door when he heard his stepsister talking to her partner. He felt guilty for behaving the way he was towards her. In all honesty, he didn't blame Casey for his unfortunate outcome. He knew it wasn't her fault that his career was over. Even if he hadn't been whisked away for protection from a murderer, he still would have had to suffer major consequences for how he'd reacted in the game at Boston.

And, sure, Casey had lied to him for six years about her job but she _was _sworn to secrecy. He understood that. It wasn't like they were in a relationship. He was just her stepbrother and that was all he'd ever be.

Derek let out a groan of frustration.

_But what if I don't want to be just her stepbrother anymore? _The thought struck Derek before he had the time to process it and he quickly shook his head. _Don't go there. Man. _He chided himself even though he knew it was true. For a while now he'd been feeling things that he shouldn't be feeling towards his stepsister.

"Do you want me to stay for a while until things cool down between you two?" He'd heard Ben ask Casey through the door and a pang of jealousy hit him in the stomach.

Derek winced with a grimace. He knew there was something going on between those two. There's no way that two good looking, criminal fighting spies such as themselves could go four years as 'just friends/partners'.

_There's no way I could ever compete against Benjamin Blake. _Derek scowled as he ran a hand through his hair. It's not that he didn't like Ben but he knew he was nothing in comparison to him. _He's perfect, and I'm just her stepbrother. _

Derek growled in frustration as he gripped at his hair. _Stop thinking like that! _He scolded his mind. _I can't feel like this towards Casey... It's not right._

He didn't bother waiting for Casey's response to Ben's question as he turned away from the door and turned on the stereo, making sure the dial was full blast.

Now, Derek sat on the bed contemplating whether he should go and apologize to Casey or not. He couldn't stand the fact that he'd hurt her. He hated himself for treating her the way he did, especially after she'd saved his life, _multiple_ times.

_I am such an idiot! _

He stood up and walked towards the door.

_I have to talk to her. _

He reached for the knob and was about to turn it when he remembered that Ben could still be out there.

_So what if he is? I live here too now, so I have a right to walk into the living room. _He let out a sigh. _But what if they're doing something... like kissing...?_

He spun around and pushed the off button on the stereo then made his way back to the door and pressed his ear against the wooden exterior.

The apartment was silent.

_Crap! Maybe they are making out right now... _He frowned sadly. He then hit himself on the forehead and cursed. _Ugh! What is wrong with me? I shouldn't be caring if she's making out with Benjamin Blake. She's Casey and I'm Derek. We'd never work together as a... couple... Would we?_

"That's it. I don't care if their faces are pressed together or not. I can't stand being in here with these absurd thoughts in my head!" He spoke aloud as Derek pulled open the bedroom door and stepped out into the hall.

"Casey?" He cleared his throat as he hesitantly poked his head around the corner.

The room was empty.

"Case?"

_Maybe she went to bed...?_

"Agent McDonald has left the premises, Mr. Venturi." The security system they called Chip spoke and Derek cried out in surprise.

"Whoa," He gasped as he clutched his beating heart. "Stupid talking computer." He cursed while glaring up at the blinking red light above the doorway.

"On the contrary, Mr. Venturi, I am an exceedingly intelligent central processing unit and security system programmed to communicate in twenty-three different languages." Chip replied and even though he was a machine it still came off quite smugly in Derek's opinion.

Derek snorted and chose not to comment. He then recalled what Chip had said about Casey and his eyes widened.

"Did you say that Casey isn't here?"

"Affirmative. Agent McDonald has left the premises."

"Where did she go?"

"Agent McDonald said that she 'had to step out for a moment and would be right back'." Chip quoted her.

"Would you quit calling her Agent McDonald? Her name is Casey." Derek frowned.

"Affirmative. Her name is Agent Casey McDonald."

"Derek let out an irritated groan, "Never mind."

"I detect annoyance in your emotions, Mr. Venturi. I also detect frustration, guiltiness, and confusion."

"Oh great, you're a mood ring as well." He mumbled.

"I also detect sarcasm."

Derek rolled his eyes, "Look, would you quit telling me how I feel and just tell me where Casey is?"

"You are worried."

"Yes I'm worried. She usually lets me know when she's leaving the house."

"You care deeply for Agent Casey McDonald."

Derek sighed, "Can you just tell me if you know where she is?"

"Negative, Mr. Venturi. I do not know."

"Is she with Benjamin?"

"I detect jealousy."

Derek gaped for a moment before he glared up at the red light, "Shut up! You detect nothing!"

"I disagree."

Derek gripped at his hair and let out a groan, "Ugh! I can't believe I am arguing with a computer!"

(=)

8:43 PM

Casey shivered as she stood outside her apartment building with the night sky shining down on her realizing that she forgot to bring a coat and was only wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans. She made sure that her gun was tucked securely in the back of her denims in case Phil proved untrustworthy.

She wasn't sure whether he was waiting in one of the numerous parked cars along the street or standing in the shadows watching her every move.

Blinking headlights from the fourth car across the street grabbed her attention and she knew it was Phil.

"Here we go..." Casey sighed and approached the car, making sure there was no one else watching her.

"Get in." Phil said through the rolled down window.

"Nice to see you too, Phillip." Casey bit with sarcasm as she made her way around the silver Chevy-camaro and took a seat inside. "For a dead man, you sure can afford a decent ride." Casey quipped as she took in the interior of the vehicle.

Phil smiled, "Just because people think I'm dead doesn't mean I don't have money."

"Touché."

Casey stared at the man seated next to her and still couldn't help but gape at him. For three years, she believed this man to be dead. His image still used to haunt her in her sleep every now and then. Suddenly he's back in her life, alive and seeking her assistance. Why?

"So when did you and Blake finally get together?" Phil grinned.

Casey rolled her eyes, "Ben and I are not in a relationship."

"You really expect me to believe that? You two used to undress each other with your eyes, as I recall."

"Look, Phil, I didn't come here to talk about my personal life. Just get on with whatever you have to say because I need to get back to my apartment." Casey snapped impatiently.

Phil chuckled, "What, you have another date waiting for you?"

"Something like that, so I'd appreciate you pick up the pace."

Phil frowned at her, "You still don't believe that I want to help you?"

"Give me one reason why I should?"

"Because I'm your friend, Casey."

"You _used _to be my friend." She shot back with a glare.

"Fine," Phil sighed and Casey noticed a hint of sadness in his eyes as he turned away from her and pulled a silver case out from the back seat. "You remember this?" He asked her, indicating to the case.

Casey nodded, "Are you finally going to explain why I had to steal it from two men in a park?"

Phil dipped his chin as he entered an access code into the electronic lock on the side and the top lid snapped open.

"This case here contains information that pertains to your mission with R.E.D."

"What is it?" Casey asked eagerly, trying to peer inside.

Phil held it away from her view and pulled out a manila file folder. He clutched it in his hands like it was the most important item in his life.

"Those men that you had to intercept in the park work for Greggor Haldega." Phil spoke as he looked out the window.

Casey's eyes widened but she chose not to speak and let him continue.

"Christoff Vendere is a scientist. He was hired by Haldega to reform and enhance a certain substance."

"What do you mean?"

Phil handed Casey the file folder and said, "Look inside."

Casey hesitantly opened the folder and stared at the page before her with bewilderment, "It's a bunch of formulas and equations..."

"Do you understand them?"

She shook her head with red cheeks, "Math wasn't my best subject and science came in second to that."

"Well luckily for you, _I_ do understand it." Phil grinned.

"See that equation there?" He asked pointing to the top of the page.

Casey nodded.

"You may not recognize it in that form but the spy world once referred to it as: Potion X."

Casey gasped, "But how...?"

Phil cut her off, "Haldega was apart of the whole Potion X scandal four years ago, except he didn't like the fact that it was only directed at the secret agents and that it's power wasn't more lethal."

Casey gasped again as realization dawned on her, "Oh no, please don't tell me..."

"He hired Vendere to modify Potion X." Phil finished her sentence with a nod and pointed at another equation and formula on the page. "That there is the new Potion X. Its power could take out anyone with the slightest sniff or inhale."

"Oh God, please tell me this is a joke?" Casey looked at him through wide terror stricken eyes.

Phil shook his head grimly, "I wish it were." He then turned a couple pages in the folder to reveal a picture of a clear substance in a small vial. "That is the new Potion X."

Casey stared at the picture as her heart rate picked up increasingly, "What does he plan to do with it?"

"From what I read in the formulas and equations, Potion X can now be inserted into any liquid substance and will first create a flu-like quality until it envelops the whole head with that pasty-white substance that only used to cover the eyes, blocking any air from escaping and slowly suffocating it's victim."

"How do you know all of this just by reading equations?"

Phil turned another page to show a picture of five bodies lying on metal beds with their hands and feet constricted by metal cuffs and their faces each covered in a clear white substance she hadn't seen in four years. The sight caused a queasy sensation in Casey's stomach as she turned away from it with a clenched jaw.

"They were testing it on humans." Phil confirmed what Casey already guessed.

Casey took a deep breath before speaking with a slight quiver, "So if Haldega plans on using this new Potion X, then what did he need the QT7 chip for? What's its purpose?"

Phil sighed, "I'm still trying to figure that out. No one but the creator and a few other scientists knew the exact quality of the chip. Someone must have sold the information to Haldega and that's how he found out."

Casey shook her head as she stared out the window, "This can't be happening."

"But it is, Casey, and you're the only person I trust who can stop it."

She spun to face him with wide, incredulous eyes, "Are you serious? You expect me to handle this on my own? I have to tell the Agency!" Casey exclaimed as she dug into her pocket for her cell phone.

"No!" Phil stopped her as he grabbed her phone before she could dial the number. "You can't breathe a word of this!"

"Give me back my phone, Phillip! The Agency needs to know!" Casey glared at her former handler.

He shook his head, "If you tell them about this then they will want to know how you found out and my secret will be revealed."

"Who cares about your secret? The whole world could be in danger!" Casey snapped bitterly.

"I told you this in confidence, Casey. You can't let them know."

"Then how do you expect me to stop him?"

"You're smart. You'll figure something out."

"I can't do this on my own, Phil!" Casey pleaded with desperate eyes. "I won't tell them about you, I promise, but I need to tell them about the Potion."

Phil shook his head with a grim expression, "No, you need to do this without informing them."

"I can't!" She shouted.

"Yes you can! Think of your family, Casey! I may be on your side but if you don't listen to me then the threat remains!"

Casey faltered for a moment as glimpses of her family's faces came into view of her mind. She scowled at the man she used to know, hating him for what he was doing to her.

"You can stop Haldega without letting anyone in the Agency know what I've told you tonight." Phil continued to speak to her, ignoring the hatred pouring from her eyes. "I know you could care less about me right now, but I believe in you, Casey; I always have."

Suddenly Casey's phone started ringing in Phillip's hand, startling them both as they sat in the car parked outside her apartment.

"Give me my phone." Casey glared at him as she held out her hand.

"Promise me you won't tell the Agency."

Casey stared at the phone ringing in Phil's hand and then back up at his face. She let out a groan of frustration before silently nodding her head.

"I want you to say it." He deadpanned as he held the phone beyond her reach.

Casey was fighting a battle inside her mind. She knew she couldn't hold such crucial information from the Agency and not to mention the world... but Phil would harm her family... She couldn't let that happen.

"I..." Casey hesitated as a tear fell from her eye. "I promise I won't tell."

Phil nodded with a serious expression, "I'll hold you to it."

"Whatever; just give me my phone." She glowered and wiped the tear from her eye before more could escape.

Phil handed her the phone and Casey immediately pressed _talk_.

"Hello?"

"Casey, where the heck are you and why did you take so long to answer your phone?" It was Derek.

"I... I um... had to step out for a minute."

"Where are you? You could've told me you were leaving."

"I thought you weren't talking to me?"

Derek sighed, "Look, just hurry up and get back here. We need to talk."

"I'm on my way."

"Good. I can't stand one more minute with this stupid computer." He said before hanging up.

"Who was that?" Phil asked with a curious brow.

"It was no one. Are we done here?" Casey asked as she ended the call on her phone and placed it back in her pocket.

"For now." Phil nodded.

"Can I at least keep these?" Casey asked, gesturing to the file folder.

Phil nodded, "As long as you don't take them anywhere near R.E.D."

"I won't." She glowered before closing the folder.

"There's more in there that you will see, so just be careful."

Casey nodded before opening the passenger side door and stepping out.

"Casey, I hope after all of this is over, we can be friends again." Phil said with a hopeful smile

Casey scowled at him, "You ruined that chance a long time ago." She said before slamming the car door and making her way back across the street towards her building with the folder grasped tightly in her hand.

* * *

><p><strong>Haha! I love Derek's argument with Chip! Which reminds me... Have you seen the new program on the iPhone 4S? It's called Siri and it's a computer that actually talks to you and answers questions, etc. It is hilarious! Now when I think of Chip I think of Siri. <strong>

**Please feel free to leave a review. I enjoy them very, very much! Thanks for reading! :D**


	16. Chapter 16

**So I wasn't going to post this chapter yet but I decided to anyway because the reviews were Awesome and I'm going to be up late right now anyway packing for my trip to Calgary because my band is attending a conference and going to the GMA Awards there. SO Excited!**

**I hope you enjoy the chapter. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16<strong>

_Four Years Ago_

_Paris, France_

_9:10 PM_

"_Where are we going? Just tell me already." Casey complained as she sat in the back seat of a cab with a blindfold over her eyes._

_ "If I told you then it wouldn't be much a surprise." Ben chuckled from the seat next to her._

_ "Like I told you before, I hate surprises. They never work out for me." Casey grumbled._

_ "Lighten up, Casey." Ben laughed as he touched her hand resting on the seat between them. "Trust me, you'll love this surprise."_

_ Casey blushed when she realized he hadn't removed his hand from on top of hers as they drove the rest of the way in silence._

_ After the rookie spy duo received the call from Phil, Casey and Ben decided to register into a hotel before having dinner and doing some nightly sight seeing. They got two rooms beside each other and quickly changed into fancier dress wear they'd decided to purchase at one of the hotel shops._

_ Casey wore a thin strapped, knee length white dress that fit her in all the right places. It wasn't too fancy and not too casual either. She'd also straightened her hair and put on a bit of extra make up to go with the outfit, as well as a pair of white flats on her feet. _

_ Ben wore a black v-neck t-shirt that accentuated his muscles and left nothing to the imagination, as well as a dark grey dress coat and a pair of jeans with converse sneakers. _

_ Casey ignored the notion in her head that this seemed like a date and greeted her partner with a warm smile. He'd looked her up and down with an astonished look on his face and complimented her attire and she returned the gesture with a slight blush._

_ When they finally managed to hail a taxi and Ben refused to tell her where they were going, Casey knew he was up to something, especially when he suggested she wear a blindfold over her eyes. She refused at first but caved when she stared into his beautiful green eyes pleading with her, knowing she couldn't say no to such an attractive man._

_ "Here we are." Casey heard the cab driver say in his French accent as the car came to a stop._

_ Ben thanked the man in French before taking Casey's hand and guiding her out the door._

_ "Can I take this thing off now?" Casey asked, the excitement beginning to bubble in her stomach as she reached for the garment tied around her head._

_ "Let me help you with that." Ben said and she felt his hands loosening the blindfold before it fell from her eyes and he held it in his hand._

_ Casey waited for her vision to focus after being in the dark for a half an hour and looked up at a grinning Benjamin._

_ "Surprise!" Her partner exclaimed as he gestured behind them._

_ Casey gasped as she took in the sight before her and marvelled in the splendour of The Eiffel Tower gleaming in the night sky above them._

_ "I thought you'd like it." Ben smirked as he watched her reaction._

_ "It's incredible!" Casey beamed and she suddenly threw her arms around Ben with excitement._

_ Ben stiffened in her embrace at first but then moved his arms to wrap around her small frame with a smile._

_ "I can't believe we're actually here." Casey said as she let go of him and continued to gaze up at the historical structure._

_ "Do you want to go up?" Ben asked, gesturing to the entrance ahead of them._

_ "Yes!" Casey shrieked with anticipation._

_ "Then let's go, Bluebird." Her partner smiled as he once again took her hand in his and they began to make their way towards the Eiffel entry._

(=)

_11:04 PM_

_Paris, France_

_Atop the Eiffel Tower_

_Casey couldn't help the wide grin spread across her face as she stood on the historical monument staring at the lit up city of Paris below her. It was amazing. The sight seemed to capture her breath while the night wind blew through her brown highlighted locks. _

_ Thoughts of the past two weeks and all the threats of Potion X were placed into the back of Casey's mind. She decided to just enjoy the night she had in France and leave work till the next day. _

_ She and Ben ate in the restaurant of the Eiffel Tower and it was delicious. They'd talked about each other's lives and laughed at one another's stories while drinking champagne. She couldn't ask for a better night. _

_ "What do you think?" Benjamin asked from beside her with a smile._

_ "It's beautiful." Casey breathed out with a contented sigh. _

_ "You're beautiful." Ben commented as he gazed into her eyes._

_ Casey's cheeks turned crimson red as she tried to understand the meaning of Ben's intentions. _

Does he like me? Was this an actual date? Do I like him? Are partners even allowed to have romantic relationships at R.E.D?

_Ben seemed to notice the bewildered look in her eyes and he shifted his gaze back to the scenery below._

_ "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that." He apologized quickly._

_ Casey cleared her throat, "It's alright." She smiled as she placed her hand on the railing next to his. "I'm flattered."_

_ "I just don't want you to think that I planned all of this or something..." Ben spoke nervously with a shake of his head. "It wasn't supposed to be a date... I mean, it's not a date... Unless you wanted it to be..." He rambled while running a shaky hand through his hair._

_ Casey laughed as she turned to face her partner, forcing his eyes to meet hers, "Is dating each other even permitted in the Agency?"_

_ "Well..." _

_ Before Ben could reply, Casey's phone began buzzing from inside her purse._

_ "I'm sorry." Casey frowned as she took out her cell and answered it. "Hello?"_

_ "Casey, are you home right now?" _

_ "Derek?" Casey replied as she turned away from Ben's curious gaze. "Why are you calling me so late?"_

_ "It's only 5:00 PM."_

_ "Oh..." Casey forgot about the time difference. _

_ "Are you home yet because I think I made a decision about which team I'm going to play for, but I'd like your opinion?"_

_ "Sorry, Derek, but I'm actually out of town for work."_

_ "Again? Didn't you just get back from a work trip?"_

_ "Yes but another research project came up at the last minute and I had to go."_

_ "Why didn't you tell me?" He sounded disappointed. _

_ "Like I said, it was last minute."_

_ "When will you be back?"_

_ "Some time tomorrow."_

_ "Can I come over then?"_

_ "If I'm not at work, yeah."_

_ Derek sighed, "So that's a no then."_

_ "I didn't say that."_

_ "Face it, Case; we both know you'll be working. You practically live at your job." He grumbled._

_ "Derek, I promise that if I finish early you can come over."_

_ "Yeah, whatever. I'll let you get back to your research." He mumbled. "See you later, Spacey."_

_ "Bye, Derek." Casey replied glumly as the line went dead._

_ A stab of guilt hit her stomach as she stared down at the phone in her hand. She felt terrible for not being there for him and having to lie about what she was really doing. _

Do I really spend that much time working? _She wondered with a frown. _Is Derek angry with me?

_"Um... Casey? Is everything alright?" Ben's voice interrupted her thoughts and Casey looked up to see him giving her a concerned expression._

_ Casey shook her head, "Sorry about that, Ben. It was just my... um... Derek."_

_ "Derek?" He raised a brow and she thought she saw a hint of jealousy flash behind his handsome features._

_ "The stepbrother I told you about over dinner." She shrugged._

_ "Are the two of you close?"_

_ "I don't know... I guess you could say we're friends... We go to the same University."_

_ "I see." Ben nodded as he stared at the ground. "Does he come over to your place a lot?"_

_ Casey sighed, "Ben, why are you so curious? He's just my stepbrother."_

_ Her partner sighed with a shake of his head before lifting his wrist and looking at his watch, "We should probably be heading back to the hotel now. The jet will most likely arrive early in the morning."_

_ "Oh... Um... Ok." _

Why is he acting so strange all of sudden? _Casey wondered as she followed her partner back towards the elevators. _Just a couple of minutes ago he was complimenting my looks and practically calling this a date... _Her eyes widened at the realization of something. _Maybe he changed his mind and really doesn't like me in that way...?

_"Thanks for tonight." Casey offered a smile as she and Ben entered the elevator and the doors closed._

_ "Don't thank me. Kluess was the one who gave us the night off in Paris." He shrugged nonchalantly and hardly said a word the rest of the night._

(=)

_Hotel in Paris, France_

_7:16 AM_

_Knock, knock, knock!_

_Knock, knock, knock!_

"_Who is it?" Casey groaned out while half asleep on her comfy hotel bed._

"_Casey, open up!" Ben shouted from the hallway and continued to bang on her door, getting louder by the second._

_The young agent yawned as she sat up in the bed and checked the time before standing up. _

"_Casey!" Ben's voice shouted once again._

"_Hold on!" Casey shouted back before adjusting her appearance in the mirror and putting on a robe to cover the underwear and tank top she'd slept in, considering she hadn't brought pyjamas to France. _

"_Hurry up! Something has happened!"_

_The urgent tone in Ben's voice caused a sick feeling to creep down her spine as she unlocked the door and turned the knob._

"_What's the..." She began to say but was cut off by him rushing through the doorway and entering her room with wide, terrified eyes._

"_The jet isn't coming." Ben said and began pacing the floor in front of the TV. _

_She took in his haggard appearance and noticed he was still wearing his boxers with a white t-shirt covering his chest; his usually neatly combed blonde head was sticking up in all sorts of directions and his feet were bare. _

Is it wrong that I'm even more attracted to him now? _She thought to herself with a slight blush._

"_Did you just wake up?" She asked._

_Ben turned to stare at her with an incredulous look, "Did you not just hear what I said?"_

"_Um..." Honestly, she hadn't. She'd been too busy focussing on him. _

Darn my nostalgic state and his attractive sleepy look! _Casey cursed silently._

_Ben moved towards her and placed his hands on her shoulders, "The jet isn't coming, Casey. I tried calling the Agency and nobody picked up. It was supposed to be arriving an hour from now."_

"_What do you mean 'no one picked up'? There's always someone there to answer calls, even if it's the middle of the night there." She replied, trying not to focus on the fact that his face was a mere inches from hers._

_Ben sighed and took a step back while running a hand through his hair, "I called five times and each time it went to voicemail. I even tried calling Colonel Kluess but he didn't answer either."_

_Now Casey was concerned._

"_That doesn't make any sense." She said while taking out her phone. "Let me try Phil."_

_Casey dialled Phillip's number and an operator's voice came on informing her that the number no longer existed. _

"_What?" She exclaimed. "That's impossible!"_

"_What's wrong?" Ben asked, watching her with a gaping expression._

"_Supposedly his number is no longer in use." Casey groaned as she pressed the end call button. "He just called me from that number yesterday."_

_Ben began pacing again with a worried look on his face, "I have a bad feeling about this."_

"_Me too."_

(=)

_R.E.D. Headquarters _

_Kingston, Ontario_

_9:52 AM_

_Casey and Ben arrived at the R.E.D. building after catching a last minute flight from Paris to Kingston and hurried up to the large double doors at the entrance. Ben tried to pull the doors open by gripping the handle but they wouldn't budge. _

_ "They're locked!" He raised his voice and tried tugging on both doors to no avail. "They're never locked at this time!"_

_ "What if something's happened to the Agency?" Casey asked warily._

_ "We need to get inside." Ben concluded as he dug through his pockets and pulled out a tiny pen-like object. He grinned as he held it up to Casey's curious gaze. "I borrowed it from Mason Marz." _

_ "What is it?"_

_ "Just watch." He said before holding it up to the glass door and pressing a button on the side of the petite object. _

_ Casey gasped when a red laser shot out of the device and Ben carved a circle into the glass frame. He then turned it off, placed it back in his pocket and shoved the piece of glass inward, crashing it to the ground while leaving an open hole in the door._

_ "Nice." Casey commented before checking their surroundings and making sure no one was watching them._

_ Ben pushed his arm through the hole and twisted the lock on the inside. The door opened without a problem and the two agents entered the ominous building with caution. _

_ "You have your gun?" Ben whispered from her side as he pulled out his from the back of his pants. _

_ "Always." Casey replied, extending her own tranquillizer gun in front of her as they continued to walk._

_ The lights were off and the usually lively front lobby was eerily silent as their shoes clacked against the marble flooring with each step. _

_ "Something isn't right here..." Casey whispered, taking in her surroundings. _

_ "What's that over there?" Ben asked, pointing his gun towards the wrap around desk ahead of them that usually held three agents in disguise pretending to be receptionists talking on phones._

_ Casey squinted as she stared ahead; the only light was coming through the glass doors from outside. Her eyes widened in horror when she realized that what she was staring at was a hand hanging over the top of the desk covered in a red substance. _

_ "Is that blood?" She asked, halting in her tracks and grabbing Ben's arm._

_ "I don't know. I can't be sure without a closer look." Her partner replied warily as he took another step forward._

_ A sudden thought occurred to Casey and she yanked his body back to her in alarm, "Wait, Ben! I don't think its blood!"_

_ He turned to look at her with a confused expression, "Then what is it?"_

_ Casey ignored his question as she began hastily tearing cloth off the bottom of her shirt, revealing her midriff and handed a piece to Ben while placing the other piece over her mouth and nose._

_ "What are you doing?" Ben questioned, holding the cloth in his hand._

_ "The Agency's been attacked by Potion X!" She cried through the cloth._

_ Ben immediately placed the ripped t-shirt over his face as realization hit him with a hard slap. _

_ "We need to get out of here! We don't know how that thing spreads or if there's anymore triggers waiting to be set off!" Casey said as she spun for the door._

_ "Wait, we need to be sure." Ben stopped her with a hand on her shoulder._

_ "Ben..." Casey protested when her partner began slowly making his way towards the front desk, gripping his gun in front of him._

_ He inspected the scene before him and then quickly spun around and sprinted towards her, "It's definitely Potion X! Let's get out of here!"_

"_We need to call the NSA or anybody that can help us!" Casey said as they ran out of the glass doors and back out onto the busy streets of downtown. _

"_Freeze!" A voice yelled, startling the duo and forcing them to turn around. _

"_I think they already know..." Ben said to her as they raised their hands in surrender while five NSA agents pointed their guns at them._

"_This doesn't look good." Casey frowned with a wary glance at her partner._

"_Nope; it does not."__  
><em>

(=)

_NSA temporary headquarters__  
><em>_Downtown, Kingston__  
><em>_9:31 PM_

"_Look, we've explained it seven times now!" Ben shouted as he and Casey sat handcuffed in a small room at a metal table across from Agent Richmond Carlson and another NSA agent. "We had nothing to do with what happened! We were on assignment in France and just got back this morning!"_

"_I'm sorry; Agent Blake, but you must realize how this looks... You and your partner just happened to stay over night in France while the rest of the Agency was attacked by Potion X." Agent Carlson raised a suspicious brow at them._

"_We were ordered to stay by our boss." Casey defended._

"_Well it seems that you have no way of proving it considering your boss, as well as fifty-two other R.E.D. agents, is unconscious and being transported to the hospital for intensive care." Carlson scowled at them._

"_Fifty-two...?" Casey questioned. "There were fifty-five agents, including us still cognisant when we left."_

"_So...?"_

"_So there's one other person who wasn't there when the attack happened!" Casey exclaimed with wide eyes._

"_Do you have a list of all the agents that you found in the building?" Ben asked eagerly._

_The NSA agent continued to stare at them suspiciously, "Yes, but how do I know that this isn't some kind of trick?"_

"_We're telling you the truth! I bet that whichever name is not on the list is the one you want." Ben said with a glare._

"_Just check the list, please?" Casey pleaded desperately. _

_Agent Carlson let out a reluctant sigh and nodded to the agent sitting next to him. The man stood up without a word and left the room._

_An awkward silence fell over the space as Carlson continued to stare at Casey and Ben like they were criminals. _

_She couldn't help picturing the unconscious forms of her colleagues covered in the symptoms of Potion X with a sick feeling in her gut. A part of her felt guilty that she and Ben were the only agents unharmed because they were in France. If Kluess hadn't ordered them to stay the night there, then they would have fallen victim to the dreaded poison as well._

_She suddenly felt a hand give hers a light squeeze under the table and turned to see Ben giving her a reassuring smile, knowing what she was thinking because he'd been thinking the exact same thoughts._

_The other NSA agent arrived back in the room with a piece of paper in his hands. He sat down and handed it to Agent Carlson._

"_I want you to know that I'd like to believe you two are innocent." Carlson said as he stared at the two agents, his eyes softening just a smidge. "So please prove me wrong."_

_Ben nodded as Carlson passed him the paper and he and Casey began scanning the list while he held it in front of them._

"_It's Phil!" Ben said immediately with a shocked expression. He not only had a photographic memory but he was a speed reader as well._

"_Are you sure?" Casey asked with worried eyes. "It couldn't be Phil. He's my friend. He taught me everything I know about being a spy."_

_Ben sighed giving Casey a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry, Casey, but he's the only other person not on the list besides us. That's no coincidence."_

"_Are you talking about Phillip Greenwood?" Agent Carlson frowned._

_Ben nodded, "Yes, Sir."_

_Casey's eyes went wide at the realization of something._

"_What is it?" Ben asked, noticing the panicked expression on her face._

"_He knew." Casey shook her head with fury and disappointment. "He knew that the Agency was next and that's why he called last night! For some reason he didn't want me there when it happened, so he lied and said that Kluess wanted us to stay!"_

"_That son of a..."_

* * *

><p><strong>I know there wasn't much of Derek in this chapter... Sorry... but at least it was full of suspense and mystery! Plus I think the past relationship between Ben and Casey is cute, and I know some of you agree with me. I promise more Derek in the next chapter. :D<strong>

**Thanks for reading and Reviewing! I love reading what you like about my story and knowing that you're enjoying it! **

**Please feel free to review this chapter. Tell me what you liked, what you disliked, ANYTHING! I love hearing from you!**

**Wish me a safe trip and I will update when I get back. :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**I pretty much finished this chapter today but I knew I couldn't make you guys wait any longer. It's a bit short but I think you'll like it. ;)**

**Enjoy...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17<strong>

Casey's Apartment

9:03 PM

"Welcome back, Agent Casey McDonald." Chip greeted as Casey entered her apartment after passing the security scan and code access installed outside her front door.

"Hi, Chip." Casey forced a smile as she hid the manila folder from Phil behind her back and out of the computer's view.

"You seem tense." Chip observed.

"I'm fine." Casey lied while inwardly cursing Mason for programming the mood detector into their security system. "Where is Derek?"

"Your stepbrother is in his bedroom."

Casey glanced towards the guest room down the hallway and contemplated whether she should just head straight to her own room instead of confronting him at the moment. She needed to read over the files Phil had given her and decide what to do with the information she'd been discreetly handed.

_What does he want to talk about anyway? Isn't he still angry with me? _She wondered with a bemused frown.

Music was once again blasting from his speakers and Casey knew she better get used to it while Derek was living with her once again. Her neighbours, however, would not be so lenient.

_Maybe I can just put the folder in my room before knocking on his door... _Casey thought as she took off her shoes and began slowly making her way down the hall, trying to avoid any sudden movements or sounds that would give her away. Even though the music was loud, Derek still knew when someone was sneaking past his door.

_Which would actually make a great skill for the Agency... _Casey thought before shaking her head. _Derek a spy? Yeah right. _She scoffed before continuing forward.

She was right in front of his door now and knew that if he saw her shadow through the bottom, she was screwed.

_Maybe I could do a flip over to the other side...? _She pondered before discarding the idea. _He'd hear my feet land on the hardwood floor._

She decided to stand on her tiptoes and creep along the wall opposite from his door while instinctively holding her breath causing her cheeks and chest to puff out.

"You trying to sneak past my room?" A voice suddenly spoke and Casey hadn't realized she'd been moving with her eyes closed and that the music from his room had gone silent.

"Derek..." Casey gasped out when her gaze landed on her stepbrother standing in the doorway with an unimpressed look upon his face and his arms crossed against his chest.

"Seriously, Case? You're a secret spy and you can't even get past my door without being caught?" He smirked slightly.

Casey let out a sigh, "I... I wasn't trying to..."

"Yes you were." His expression darkened with a hint of hurt. "If you don't want to talk to me, then you could've just said so."

"No; I do want to talk to you... I just had to do something really quick." Casey cried in defence.

Derek's gaze lowered to her hands placed at her sides and his eyebrow rose with curiosity, "What's that?" He gestured towards the folder in her hand.

_Crap! _

"Uh... It's nothing..." Casey said and tried to continue into the room at the end of the hall.

"More lies?" Derek scowled. "I thought you were done lying to me?"

"I-I am..."

"Then what's in the folder?" Derek asked, taking a step towards her.

Casey backed against the wall and clutched the folder behind her while staring into her stepbrother's serious brown gaze.

"Derek, this is nothing that concerns you, alright?" She said with a slight quiver in her voice as he moved to stand directly in front of her with only a foot between their bodies.

"Is it from Ben?" He asked and she thought she detected a hint of disgust when he said her partner's name, which wouldn't make sense because the two men seemed to get along great. At least she thought they did...

"No." She said now avoiding his hard glare.

"Is it about me?"

"No."

"Then why can't you tell me what it is and where you disappeared to for a half an hour?"

Casey let out a deep breath, "It's confidential, Derek. I can't tell anyone."

"What about Ben? Can you tell Mr. Attractive spy guy what it is?"

Casey raised a questioning brow at him, "Derek, do you have something against Ben?"

He immediately faltered as he cleared his throat and shook his head, "No... I-I'm just wondering why he's allowed to know your 'confidential' information and I, your own stepbrother gets the cold shoulder?"

"You're not getting the cold shoulder, Derek. Ben is my partner. We're supposed to tell each other everything. It's in the guidelines."

Casey let out a small gasp at the words she'd just spoken and a guilty blow to her gut made her feel nauseas.

_Ben is my partner and I haven't told him about Phil... We're supposed to tell each other everything... But I can't tell Ben because it puts my family in more danger! If Phil found out I talked to anyone from the Agency, he probably wouldn't hesitate in hurting my loved ones. _

"Case, I know you're hiding something big from me. I can tell by the anxious expression on your face. Something is bothering you and you need to tell me what it is." Derek said as he stared into her eyes with sincerity.

Casey shook her head with a frown as she gripped the folder even tighter against her palm, wrinkling its contents in the process.

"I can't." She whispered out with a shaky voice, forcing herself to hold in the tears.

"Casey..." Derek's soft voice spoke and he surprised her by placing his hand on her cheek and gazing desperately into her misted blue eyes.

She tried to ignore the fact that her heart rate increased at the intimate gesture from her stepbrother and stared right back at him, experiencing a side of Derek that she didn't see often, especially in relation to her.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk to you." Derek apologized with a grimace.

"Are you talking about the last two days or since we first met?" Casey tried to joke even though her voice still came out breathless.

Derek smirked nonetheless before his gaze turned serious once again, "Both." He spoke, causing a colony of butterflies to flutter rapidly inside her stomach. "I know you were just doing your job and that you couldn't tell me what you really do... I get it, and I'm grateful for you saving my life and trying to protect me. It's just a lot to take in, you know?"

Casey nodded and she tried not to think about the fact that Derek's thumb was unconsciously caressing her cheek as he still held her and that his body and face were only a couple of inches away.

_Why am I feeling like this? _She asked herself. _It's not like I have feelings for Derek... Right?_

"And to be honest," Derek continued to speak as Casey pushed the absurd thoughts into the back of her mind. "I think it's great that you want to save the world from the bad guys... even if you're endangering your life while doing it..." He winced slightly at the thought, which Casey noticed.

"Derek..." She tried to speak but he cut her off as his other hand wrapped around her forearm gently.

"I'm not finished." He said and his eyes seemed to turn a darker shade as he stared at her, which rendered Casey speechless and sent tingles down her spine. "Do you remember that night when I told you that you can tell me anything?"

Casey nodded. The memory of that night four years ago was etched into her brain, not only because it was the same night she'd been nursing her wounds from her first failed mission, but also because it was the first time she and Derek had connected on a more intimate level with each other.

"I still mean it." He spoke softly, almost in a whisper that sent shivers throughout Casey's body.

She realized his face was an inch from hers, their noses practically touching as the breath caught in her throat and Casey's eyes widened in surprise before slowly closing on their own.

Suddenly she felt Derek's breath brush across her lips and the beat of her heart began racing in tempo before he unexpectedly pulled away and she opened her eyes to see him retreat into his room and close the door.

_What the...? _She breathed out gaping at the wooden exterior in front of her as she tried to make sense of what just happened. She then felt something missing from her right hand and let out a frustrated groan as life with Derek made sense again.

"Der-ek!" She cried with rage as she threw his door open to see him standing across the room with the file folder from Phil open in his hands and already reading it's contents.

"What is this, Case?" Derek asked as he held up the pictures and formulas nonchalantly, completely unaffected by what he'd just done.

_Did he just do all of that to distract me...? _Casey wondered and she couldn't help the hurt feeling stabbing at her chest.

"Give that to me right now!" She shouted angrily as she stormed past the doorway and approached him.

Derek held the folder away from her as he spoke firmly, "Not until you tell me what it is."

"It is none of your business." Casey ground out through clenched teeth. "Now hand it over."

Derek shook his head as he stared down at the pages before him, "What do these formulas mean? I can understand a bit of it but..."

"Derek, I'm serious!" Casey yelled as she tried to snatch it from him but he darted the other way.

"What are you going to do, flip me?" He snorted sarcastically.

"As you wish." Casey smirked and before Derek could process what she was doing, Casey had grabbed his arm, twisted it and flipped him over, forcing him to land on his back on the hard wooden floor.

Derek groaned in pain as Casey snatched the file from his hands and glared down at him, "Now that you know my secret, I have no problem proving to you not to mess with me." She said and began walking away.

"Not so fast!" Derek shouted as he yanked her foot out from under her and she crashed to the ground beside him; the folder landing a few feet away.

Derek was suddenly hovering over and before Casey could react from the shock she'd just endured, Derek was pinning her arms above her head and straddling her hips so that she couldn't move.

"Derek, get off!" Casey seethed as she scowled up at him.

"It seems I just caught me a super spy." He grinned down at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. Casey knew of many ways she could get out of underneath him but each manoeuvre involved causing him physical pain and to be honest she didn't want to hurt him, at least more than she already had.

"Now tell me who gave you that file and what it means." Derek demanded as he leaned down towards her. She could sense a look of concern in his eyes that caused her breath to hitch.

_Does he really care? Why did he almost kiss me in the hallway? Did I want him to kiss me? _

"Derek... I want to tell you but..."

"But what, Casey?" Derek frowned with a pained look in his eyes. "Just because I'm not a super secret spy like you and Benjamin doesn't mean I can't help you out. We've known each other for ten years now; why can't you tell me what's going on?"

Casey let out a sigh as she stared up at him. Her mind was so confused with everything that was going on.

_It would relieve some of the tension I've been feeling to tell someone about what I know concerning Phil... _She pondered. _And technically, Derek isn't a part of the Agency... He doesn't even know who Phil is... Plus it's his family too whose lives are being threatened..._

Casey breathed out with a shake of her head. "I'm sorry; Derek, but I can't tell you."

_I can't take the risk of Phil finding out and possibly going after you..._

Derek solemnly nodded his head as he gazed into her eyes. She could see that she'd hurt him by choosing not to trust him with her secret but she'd be hurting him so much more by telling him.

For some reason, Casey suddenly wanted to lean up and capture his lips with hers; to show him how sorry she was and how much he actually meant to her.

_Whoa! Wait! Say what? _Casey's eyes widened at the unexpected revelation. _How much _**does**_ Derek actually mean to me? _

Before she could answer her own stifling question, Derek released his grip on her arms and stood up from her hips he'd encircled. A cold shiver ran through her body and she realized she missed the heat radiating from his form.

"I don't think this whole 'me living with you' thing is going to work out." Derek spoke as he rubbed the back of his neck and avoided looking into her eyes.

"Why not?" Casey asked as she slowly stood to her own feet and stared at him with an inquisitive expression.

"Because I think it'd be best for me to enrol in Witness Protection."

Casey shook her head with anger, "That's ridiculous, Derek! You agreed to stay with me, those were the terms. Witness Protection can't even guarantee to watch you 24/7 and I can!"

"Well maybe I don't want to be watched 24/7! Maybe I don't want to be around someone who constantly lies to me and keeps secrets from me!" Derek yelled as he began pacing the room back and forth furiously.

"It's not that I _want_ to lie to you, Derek!" Casey shouted back. "I don't have a choice! If I tell you what I know then not only your life but others will be at risk as well!"

"Like who?" He stopped pacing and looked at her with urgency.

Casey shook her head with a glower, "I... I can't tell you..."

"Then I'm going to Witness Protection!" He said as he grabbed his cell phone that the Agency had given to him in case of emergencies (they'd had to confiscate his in case it could be tracked) and began dialling the number to R.E.D.

On instinct, Casey raised her leg and kicked the phone out of his hand before he could press the send button. Derek watched with wide eyes as the phone crashed to the floor and broke apart.

"Oh, nice one, Casey!" He scowled with sarcasm.

"I can get you a new one," Casey shrugged as she took a step towards him and grasped his arm in a firm grip, "because you're not going."

"Tell me one reason, other than I'm safest with you, why I shouldn't?"

"Because...I..." Casey tried to keep the tears from falling as she looked up at him trying to convince him to stay. "I need you." She breathed out.

Derek narrowed his eyes at her, "You don't need me. You have Ben."

"Yes, but Ben is not you, Derek. I need _you_." She whispered the last part as a tear fell from her eye.

"How do I know you're not lying?" He frowned down at her but she could see the concern in his features. He'd always hated it when she cried.

Casey let out a deep sigh as she ran a hand through her hair and looked up at him with determination, "Because I'll tell you what is in the folder."

Derek's eyes widened, "You will?"

"Yes." She nodded. "If it means you won't leave, then I'll tell you what you want to know, but you have to promise not to breathe a word of it to anyone."

"I promise." Derek said as a small grin spread across his lips. "I didn't realize you cared so much, Case."

She knew he was trying to lighten the mood by teasing her but the subject of his banter caused a serious question to arise in Casey's mind.

_How much _**do**_ I care about Derek Venturi?_

(=)

9:56 PM

"So who gave you the file, Casey?" Derek asked after Casey finished explaining to him what the contents of the file contained.

The two stepsiblings decided to move into the living room where they sat on the couch (Casey making sure to leave lots of space between them) and she told him what Phil told her.

Casey shook her head, "I said I'd tell you what was in the folder, nothing else."

"Casey..." Derek narrowed his eyes at her. "What's the big deal? In case you haven't noticed, I'm being held captive by an annoying talking security system for the time being, so who will I tell?"

"That's not the point, Derek."

"Then what is?" Derek asked as he let out a sigh and leaned back against the couch with his head resting on the cushions. "You told me what the formula is, but I know there is a lot more that you're not telling me." He said as he looked straight at her. "What Haldega is doing could destroy the world and you're not going to tell the Agency about it...? I don't understand." He frowned in bewilderment.

Casey stood up from the couch, "I'm sorry, Derek, but that's all I can tell you right now. Please don't take it the wrong way? It's just something I need to deal with on my own."

Her stepbrother stared up at her as their eyes connected and she could see that he was hurting but he nodded his head nonetheless, "Fine. I won't bother you about it anymore, but if something happens, _anything_, and you need to talk, please don't hesitate to come to me?"

Casey sighed with relief and her lips twitched into a slight smile, "I won't, as long you promise not to relocate to Witness Protection again?"

"You have my word." He smiled back at her and the stupid butterflies began to flutter in her stomach once more.

"Well, I need to get some sleep." Casey said as she let out a yawn and turned away from him. "Good night, Derek." She called over her shoulder.

"Night, Case." Derek breathed out as he let his head fall back on the couch once again and watched her form slowly retreat down the hallway towards her room. "I could never leave you..." He admitted in a whisper before she disappeared out of sight and he heard her door close softly behind her.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for all the reviews! They were awesome as always! Please let me know what you thought of this chapter or just the story in general. I love hearing from you! <strong>

**God Bless!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Sorry, again, for the longer wait but I've been working a lot more now, so things have been crazy... I have a couple days off work though and I'm hoping to get more chapters done of CB. **

**Thanks for the Reviews!**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter...**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 18<strong>

R.E.D. Headquarters

Downtown Toronto, Ontario

9:33 AM

"So how was your first night living with your hostile hottie stepbrother?" Karma asked with a grin as she peeked her perky blonde head into Casey's office.

"Do you like Derek or something?" Casey asked, ignoring the pang of jealousy that bubbled in her stomach whenever Karma referred to Derek as a _hottie_, hoping the answer wasn't a yes.

Karma laughed with a shake of her head, "He's cute but definitely not my type."

Casey inwardly sighed and wondered why she was so relieved at the news.

"So who is your type then?" She asked her agent in training with a raised brow and a smirk.

Karma blushed and opened her mouth but before she could reply, Benjamin popped his head in the office behind her and spoke, "Hey, sorry to ruin your lady chat but the boss wants us in the Mission Room pronto."

"Oh, hey, Ben!" Karma turned around with a huge grin as her cheeks turned an even darker shade.

"Good morning, Karma." Ben greeted her with a warm smile and it seemed that his charm that used to affect Casey was now being transferred to the new agent.

Casey raised a curious brow Karma's way and smirked at the scene before her. Could it be that Karma Hesston has her sights set on Benjamin?

"He said it's important." Ben told them and left the doorway without another word.

"That was strange..." Karma spoke as Casey stood from the computer chair she'd been sitting on.

"What?"

"Ben didn't even say hi to you." She pointed out with a look of concern crossing her beautiful features.

Casey shrugged nonchalantly, "I didn't even notice."

"Well I did. He hardly even glanced your way... Did something happen between you two last night?" Her eyes widened with interest.

Casey shook her head with a chuckle, "You're reading too much into this, Karma. Let's just get to the Mission Room before the Colonel has a fit." She said and made her way out the door with Karma close behind.

To be honest, Casey had noticed the fact that Ben seemed upset with her this morning, but she didn't want to draw attention to it, especially attention from Karma. Ben usually poked his head into her office first thing in the morning to see how she was doing but today he hadn't. She'd shrugged it off at the time as nothing but now that she thought about it more she realized that she must have done something to bother him. Ben never acted this way towards her. She had to admit that she'd noticed the way he kept his eyes on Karma while talking to them just now and didn't even glance her way.

_What's his problem? _Casey wondered and before she knew it they were entering the Mission Room.

"Nice of you ladies to join us." Colonel Kluess' deep voice spoke from the head of the table.

Casey nodded at her boss and silently took a seat beside her partner who didn't even acknowledge her existence and Karma took the seat across from them beside Mason Marz.

"So, I know everything didn't go quite as planned on the last mission." Kluess began as he stood up with his hands clasped behind his back and stared with a grim expression. "Not only did we lose Haldega, again, but he managed to kill the buyer and make off with the QT7 chip."

"We did manage to bring back six of Haldega's men though, Sir." Karma piped up with a smile.

"His men are useless, Agent Hesston. They're trained assassins who would rather die than give us any information on what Haldega is planning."

Casey winced slightly.

_I already know what he's planning, Sir. _She thought in her head but forced her mouth to keep shut. She couldn't take the risk. _Think of your family, Casey..._

"But what if we...?" Karma tried to speak but Kluess cut her off with a raised hand.

"End of discussion, Agent." He spoke before clicking a button on the keypad that sat on the table and a holographic image of a middle-aged man with greying blonde hair and handsome features was displayed in front of them.

"This is Nicolas Walls. He's the owner of a new software called Nicotech that is rumoured to have been in association with the QT7 chip. Again, we have no idea what it does, but we do know that in order to engage the stolen chip, Haldega will need access to Nicotech."

"Where is the company centralized?" Casey asked.

"In Germany." Their boss replied.

"So then we're going to Germany?" Karma asked, trying to hold in her excitement.

Kluess nodded, "According to Agency Intel, Haldega has already purchased a ticket to Bavaria, so your plane leaves in four hours. Agent Marz will debrief you on all you need to know and assist you with some gear. Be alert and be safe." Colonel Kluess said before turning off the hologram and leaving the office.

"Can you believe we're going to Germany?" Karma squealed with delight.

"It's not a vacation, Karma." Ben said with a serious tone. "We need to catch Haldega before he intercepts that software, so there won't be any time for sight seeing."

Karma's face fell at the way he was speaking to her as if she were a child, "I understand, Ben. I've just never travelled very far before."

Casey grabbed Ben by the arm and forced him to look at her, "What is wrong with you?" She whispered harshly and glared at her partner. "We were the same way when we found out we got to travel to France on one of our first missions."

"And do you remember what that excitement brought us?" He glared back at her with a lowered voice. "We were too caught up in France and seeing the sights while unbeknownst to us, our fellow colleagues and friends were being poisoned back home."

Casey gripped his arm tighter and brought his face closer to hers as she raised a concerned brow, "Did I do something wrong?"

"Why do you think that?" He responded while averting her gaze.

"Because it seems like you've been avoiding me all morning, even now you won't look me in the eye. What's wrong, Ben?"

"Now isn't the time." He said before pulling out of her grip and facing forward as Mason began to speak.

Casey stared at him in shock before slowly turning her attention to their tech guy who was holding up a piece of equipment they would be bringing and explaining what it would do to help them in the mission.

_What did I do?_

(=)

10:05 AM

Immediately after Mason Marz finished debriefing the trio on new spy gadgets and gear, Casey pulled Ben into her office and shut the door before turning to glare at him.

"What is going on with you?" She asked as she folded her arms across her chest and stood in front of the door in case he tried to make a run for it.

Ben let out a sigh as he stood in front of her desk and let his gaze land on top of it instead of meeting hers, "I'm sorry, Casey." He apologized.

Casey hadn't expected that and her angry stance faltered for a moment before she returned her scowl full force in his direction.

"Why have you been ignoring me today and acting so rudely?"

Her partner ran a heavy hand through his blonde locks and finally met her blue-eyed gaze with a look of inquisition, "Are you hiding something from me?" He blurted out.

Inside, Casey was on full scale panic mode but on the outside she remained calm just like she'd been trained to do when someone found her out.

"No," she answered with a straight face.

Ben grimaced slightly as he took a step towards her, keeping his eyes glued to hers, "Casey, like I've told you before, I know you and I can tell when you're not being honest with me, so please tell me the truth?"

_I can't! _Casey screamed in her mind. _I wan to, Ben, more than anything, but if I do, my family will be harmed and I can't let that happen._

Casey didn't waver or even bat an eye as she stared directly into Ben's pleading green orbs and shook her head and lied, "I'm not hiding anything from you. You're not only my partner, but my best friend; there is no way I could keep something from you."

She thought she saw a flash of hurt cross his features as Ben nodded and took a step back, "I trust you, Casey." He said and his gaze settled on the door behind her.

Casey was the one to advance on him this time as she grabbed his arm, "Is that why you were being such a jerk earlier? You thought I was hiding something from you?"

"I know you're hiding something from me." He mumbled under his breath just before there was a knock at the office door.

Casey stared at Ben, not sure if she'd heard him correctly or not while he avoided her startled gaze and reached behind her to open the door.

"Hey, sorry, was I interrupting something?" Karma asked as she poked her head through the doorway with a guilty expression.

"Its fine, Karma; we're done here." Ben said as he smiled at the young woman.

"Ok, well The Colonel wants us to leave in a couple of hours, so if I was you two, I'd head home and start packing." The petite blonde smiled. "See you at the airport." She waved and walked out of sight.

Ben was about to follow her lead when Casey grabbed him once again and forced him to look at her.

"Is there something that _you're _not telling me?" Casey asked with desperate eyes, needing to know what brought on this conversation in the first place.

Her partner and good friend was silent for a moment before he shook his head and replied with a firm tone, "No."

"Are you still angry with me?" Her grip on his arm loosened a bit at the thought of him saying yes.

Ben sighed, "No, Casey, but promise me that you'll tell me if anything is going on that I should know." His serious tone and gaze caused Casey's breath to hitch as she slowly nodded at her partner.

"I will."

"Good to hear. Now you better head on home and start packing." He said before walking out the door. "Oh and have fun explaining your trip to Derek." He grinned and disappeared while Casey's eyes widened in realization.

"Oh crap!"

(=)

Casey's Apartment

11:35 PM

"What do you mean you're going to Germany?" Derek exclaimed as he followed Casey into her bedroom while she began digging through her drawers for clothes to pack.

"I have a new mission and that's where it takes place." Casey shrugged and placed a couple pairs of jeans into her black suitcase perched on the edge of her bed.

"But what about that Potion stuff that could destroy the world?"

"The man who plans to use it is in Germany; hence my reason for going."

Derek's eyes widened, "Haldegoo? The man that wants me dead?"

Casey rolled her eyes, "Its _Haldega, _Derek, and yes."

"Are you going to arrest him and bring him back?"

"If only it were that easy." Casey sighed as she neatly placed a t-shirt inside the suitcase.

"What do you mean?"

"Haldega isn't exactly an easy target to catch. The Agency's been after him for years. He's even out-smarted me a couple of times."

"That's not hard to do." Derek snorted with an amused grin.

"Shut up."

Casey turned away from her stepbrother and continued packing, deciding they needed a subject change but before she could open her mouth, Derek spoke.

"I'm coming with you."

"Excuse me?" Casey raised her voice in alarm.

"I said: I'm coming with you." Derek declared boldly as he crossed his arms against his chest.

Casey let out a chuckle as she shook her head, "You're funny."

"I'm not messing around, Casey. I'm serious. This is guy is obviously nuts and there's no way I'm letting you go after him alone."

"I won't be alone."

"Benjamin isn't the only guy who can protect you."

Casey raised a brow, ignoring the tingling feeling she got when he said those words.

"I'm flattered that you care so much, Derek, but I don't need protecting; not from Ben and not from you."

"But Casey..."

"Plus my boss wouldn't allow it. You're lucky he hasn't locked you up yet, considering you know the secret of the Agency."

"What if I talk to your boss? I've got a talent for persuading people."

"Derek, that's not the point!" Casey glared at him. "You could get killed! Haldega is after _you_! I... the Agency can't risk putting you in harms way. It'd be suicide."

Derek returned her glare full force, "It's also my choice whether I want to tamper with suicide."

Casey let out a frustrated groan as she ran a hand through her highlighted hair and looked him straight in the eyes, "You're not coming, Derek. End of discussion."

"I don't recall putting you in charge of me." He scoffed in her face.

"You're under my care while Haldega is still out there, so technically I am in charge of you."

"And how am I going to be under _your _care while you're halfway around the world?" He sneered at her with crossed arms and a raised brow.

Casey faltered for a moment, not sure how to respond to that as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish.

Derek grinned down at her, knowing he'd caused her fishy state, "So... Either you stay here or I'm going with you." He concluded before patting her on the back and walking out of her room.

_What just happened?_

"Oh and I'm going to need your boss's number since you broke my emergency contact phone last night." He poked his head back in with a smirk and disappeared once again.

"There is no way the Colonel will agree to this, Derek!" Casey finally found her voice and shouted.

"Quit shouting at me; I need to pack!"

(=)

R.E.D. Private Jet

Somewhere in the clouds

4:24 PM

"So tell me again how Derek convinced The Colonel to let him come to Germany?" Karma said as she sat next to Casey on the plane and glanced up a couple of aisles where Casey's stepbrother sat happily chewing on a piece of meat.

Casey glared at her trainee and let out a groan as she dropped her head in her hands, "I don't want to talk about it."

"Ok... I'll just ask him." Karma excused herself with a wary smile and hurried to sit across from Derek, knowing Casey was in a foul mood.

"So is Derek going to become the next super spy?" Ben asked with a grin as he took the seat Karma recently vacated.

Casey turned to look at him, relieved he was still speaking to her.

"I don't get him." She sighed as she stared out the window. "He's putting himself in even more danger by coming with us."

"You're going to lock him in a hotel room when we get there aren't you?" Her partner raised an amused brow at her.

"The thought has crossed my mind."

Ben chuckled, "You do realize the reason why he's coming, right?"

"So that he's not stuck at home with Chip." Casey shrugged.

"No..." Ben replied, prolonging the o. "He's worried about you."

Casey scowled at her partner, "Not again, Ben." She complained.

"It's true, Casey, and you know it."

"Derek just wants to make sure that we catch Haldega this time so that he is free to have a life outside of my apartment."

"Is that what he said?"

"Well... not exactly..."

"Then what did he say?"

Casey huffed as she avoided his all-knowing green eyes waiting for her answer.

"He said... um... thatyou'." She spoke quickly under breath.

"Say that again?" Ben's eyes widened with interest.

"Ben..." Casey whined.

"Say it again, Casey, or I'll talk to him myself."

The young agent glared at him as she glanced over to see Derek and Karma having a conversation and let her head fall back in her hands once again as she spoke clearly, "He said that you're not the only guy who can protect me."

Ben laughed loudly before cupping a hand over his mouth when Derek and Karma turned their way with curious gazes.

"It's not funny, you jerk." Casey scolded as she slapped his leg. Her cheeks were bright red with embarrassment.

"Do you realize what that means?" Ben stifled another giggle as he grinned her way.

"Its means he's finally decided to take on the protective brother role." Casey rolled her eyes, hating the feeling her stomach made when she referred to Derek as a brother.

"It means he's jealous of me." Ben leaned closer to her and whispered.

"You wish." Casey scoffed.

"I can prove it." Ben's grin widened as he grabbed her hand with his good arm and began stroking it soothingly.

"What are you doing?" Casey stared at him with shocked eyes.

"Just play along." He whispered in her ear, sending involuntary shivers down her spine.

"Benjamin..." Casey started to reprimand and was about to pull away from him when she noticed a pair of dark brown eyes glaring at the back of Ben's head.

"Is he shooting me daggers with his eyes?" Ben whispered into her ear once again and continued stroking her hand in his.

"Uh..." Casey was speechless. She'd never seen Derek look so angry. "Maybe you should stop..." She suggested to her partner as Derek suddenly stood to his feet.

She noticed Karma look their way with a hurt expression before turning to look out the window.

"Ben, that's enough." Casey raised her voice when he suddenly nipped at her earlobe, causing another shiver to jolt through her body and bring back feelings that she'd buried away a long time ago.

"What's going on here?" Derek asked as he approached them with clenched fists and a dark scowl on his face.

Casey shoved her partner off of her and stood up to meet Derek's stance, "Nothing. We were just talking."

"I thought there was nothing going on between you two?"

"There isn't..." Casey replied at the same time Ben said, "Maybe there is."

Derek's gaze hardened as he glared down at Benjamin who remained seated in the chair with a smug grin on his face.

Casey gaped down at her partner, not sure how to respond to that.

_Is he still trying to prove his point or is Ben really serious...?_

Before Casey could form any words to come out of her mouth, Derek turned his furious gaze towards her and stomped off towards the kitchen without looking back.

"What the hell, Ben?" Casey turned on her partner immediately with a piercing gaze. "You took that too far!"

"I proved it, didn't I?" He smirked.

"You proved nothing! How do we know he wasn't just being a protective brother?"

Ben scoffed, "Trust me, Casey. No brother would get that angry seeing another guy whisper in his stepsister's ear. He was definitely jealous."

"Is that what you were doing?" Karma stood up with a furious expression as she approached them with her hands on her hips. "You were trying to make Derek jealous?"

Ben nodded, "Yep, and it worked."

"How could you be so insensitive?" The young woman glared at her two handlers.

Casey raised her hands in self defence, "It wasn't my idea!"

"You still went along with it, Casey. Maybe you two should consider the feelings of other people before playing a twisted game like that again." She scowled in disappointment before heading towards the washrooms.

"Now you've done it, Benjamin." Casey slapped his shoulder. "Not only does Derek hate us, but so does Karma. Good job."

"I was still right." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You're an idiot."

* * *

><p><strong>Please let me know what you thought of this chapter or just the story overall... I really love your feedback and always look forward to it. <strong>

**If you have any suggestions, theories, or questions... don't hesitate to post them and I will get back to you. :)**

**Thank you so much for reading! **

**Now I have to go cut up some peppers for my Mom's special dinner tonight that I have been begging her to make for weeks called: "Lazy Mom's Peppers". Kind of ironic, eh? Haha! I can't wait to eat it! :D**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks so much to those who R&R! You guys ROCK!**

**Enjoy... :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 19<strong>

_Casey's Apartment _

_12:26 AM_

_The two NSA agents dropped Casey off outside her building in their rented silver Lexus after she and Ben were held prisoners for five hours while being asked a series of questions concerning Phillip going rogue and the Agency being attacked. They'd finally managed to convince Agent Carlson and his colleagues that they were indeed innocent and were sworn to secrecy before being let go. _

_ The young agent sighed as she pulled the key from her purse and unlocked the front door of her building. This had definitely been one of the worst days of her life. Not only was the entire R.E.D. Agency stuck in a comatose state but she'd just found out that her Handler and friend, the man whom she'd trusted with her life, was a double agent and had caused Potion X to infect her workplace and poison her co-workers and boss._

Why would Phil do such a thing? _Casey pondered with a frown. _And why did he not want me there when it happened? _The frown on her face deepened as she pushed the door open and stepped inside._

_ The betrayal of her friend was eating at her insides as Casey forced the tears in her eyes not to fall. The anger boiling inside her was making her want to scream as she approached her door at the end of the hall._

_ "Casey?" A familiar voice spoke from behind her and Casey turned to see an exhausted looking stepbrother leaning against the wall on the floor. _

_ "Derek! What are you doing here?" She placed her hand over her startled heart and looked at him with concern and confusion. _

_ "I've been waiting for you." He said as he looked at the watch on his wrist. "What are you doing getting home so late?"_

_ Casey's eyes widened as she tried to think up an excuse and watched Derek stand to his feet while waiting for her answer._

_ "I... uh... The plane was delayed. Why were you waiting for me?" _

_ Derek rubbed the back of his neck as he avoided her questioning gaze, "I... um... got locked out of my dorm and wanted to know if I could crash here tonight..."_

_ "Oh." For some reason she felt disappointed by his answer._

_"I didn't expect you to be getting home so late, however."_

_ "So why didn't you just go someplace else?"_

_ "Well... I..." He paused before letting out a sigh and looking into her eyes. "I was worried about you, okay?"_

_ Casey's stomach fluttered slightly at his confession, which she promptly ignored._

_ "Why?" She had to ask._

_ "Because... you weren't home or answering your phone..."_

_ Casey cursed inwardly. The NSA had confiscated her and Ben's phones while holding them for questions. She'd forgotten to even check if she had any missed calls when they'd returned it to her because her mind was still trying to process the shock that the night had brought upon them._

_ "Sorry, I couldn't have my phone on in the plane." She replied._

_ "Yeah, well next time your plane gets delayed, could you at least let me know?"_

_ "Since when do you care so much?" She raised a brow at him._

_ "Am I not allowed to care for the safety of my stepsister once in a while?" He asked nervously._

_ "I don't know, are you?" She folded her arms and pursed her lips. _

_ "Look, how about we just go inside before your neighbours start poking their heads into the hallway to tell us to shut up." Derek suggested, gesturing to her door._

_ "I didn't say you could stay here, Derek." Casey said as she inserted the key into the lock. _

_ "Let's just say its payment for not telling me you were even leaving on another business trip." He smirked before pushing past her and entering her apartment. _

_ "You'll have to sleep on the couch since I only have one room." Casey spoke as she took off her shoes and closed the door, making sure to lock it. _

_ "You need to get a place with two bedrooms, Spacey." Derek sighed and made his way towards her kitchen. "What do you have to eat?"_

_ "Help yourself." She rolled her eyes as he opened the fridge and began rummaging around._

_ "Do you ever shop for groceries?" Her stepbrother frowned when he re-emerged with an apple in his hand. "All you have is a couple pieces of fruit and a protein shake." _

_ Casey shrugged, "I haven't had the time to go shopping."_

_ "Yeah, I've noticed. All you do is work." He glowered and took a bite out of the apple._

_ Casey let out a breath. She was too tired to argue with Derek tonight, especially after the day she'd just had, "I'm going to head off to bed now, okay?"_

_ "Is everything alright with you?" He raised a wary brow in her direction. "You seem really out of it tonight. You didn't even pick a fight when I mentioned your unhealthy obsession with your job."_

_ "I've just had a rough day, Derek."_

_ "Anything you want to... talk about...?" He grimaced as the words spilled out of his mouth, not sure why he'd just said them. _

_ Casey chuckled at the horrified look on his face, "As much as I'd love to take 'Sensitive Derek' up on that offer, I think I'll take a rain cheque instead." She smiled appreciatively before turning away._

_ "Let me guess, you're working tomorrow, right?" Derek grumbled from behind her._

_ Casey stopped but didn't turn around as she stared down at the tiled floor beneath her socked feet. _

_ "To be honest, Derek, I don't even know what tomorrow holds for me anymore..." She said and left her baffled stepbrother in the kitchen while she made her way inside her bedroom and closed the door._

_ A tear fell from her eye and she quickly swiped it away before taking her phone out of her pocket and checking her messages and missed calls. Thirty-four missed calls were from Derek, plus twelve voicemail messages; two missed calls and one message were from her mother, and there was one other message on the phone from an unknown caller that sent a shiver down Casey's spine._

_ She clicked on the last message displayed on her screen and listened as a familiar voice began to speak._

_ "Casey... It's Phil. You're a smart girl and know you've probably figured it out by now that I'm the cause of Potion X attacking the Agency... I also know that you're most likely angry with me and feeling betrayed... You have every right to. You must know that I didn't want to harm anyone, especially not you. I had no choice. _

_ "What I want to tell you now, is of great importance. I know you have questions and I know you won't stop till they're answered, but, Casey, you must. If you come looking for me, there will be severe consequences. As you know, I'm not the only one doing this. There are many more men and women around the world; dangerous and manipulative people, that won't hesitate like I did in sparing your life._

_ "You need to leave. Go some place far where they can't find you because Potion X is only the beginning in their twisted scheme." His voice paused with a heavy sigh before continuing to speak. "I truly am sorry, Casey, and I hope that some day you can forgive me." He said before the message ended with a beep._

_ Casey fell to the floor and gripped the phone in her hand with a scowl. _

_ "I will never forgive you, Phillip, and I _will_ find you and the rest of the people responsible for Potion X, if it's the last thing I do." Casey breathed out with a venom laced voice._

(=)

_Casey's Apartment _

_10:20 AM_

_Casey was woken up by her phone ringing on the nightstand beside her bed. She let out a groan as she reached for it and pressed talk before placing it against her ear._

_ "Hello?" She croaked out sleepily._

_ "Casey, its Ben." The voice of her partner replied on the other end. "Agent Carlson wants to see us at their headquarters downtown. A car will be picking you up in thirty minutes."_

_ Casey's eyes widened as she sat up and glanced at the clock on her wall, "What do they want now? Didn't they question us enough last night?"_

_ "I don't know," Ben sighed, "but we really don't have much of a choice. Since the Agency is no longer in operation, the NSA is in charge. We have to do what they say."_

_ "Ben, there's something I need to tell you..." Casey said, thinking about the message on her phone from Phil._

_ "You'll have to tell me later. They're sending a car over for me as well and I haven't even showered. We'll talk when we see each other, alright?"_

_ Casey sighed, "Sure." _

_ "And don't worry, Casey. We'll get this all figured out. Phillip will be punished, along with everyone else responsible."_

_ "I know."_

(=)

_10:52 AM_

_Casey finished getting ready just in time to hear a buzz at the door and quickly made her way to the intercom and pressed the button._

_ "Hello?" She answered._

_ "Agent Casey McDonald?" A deep voice replied. _

"_Yes."_

"_We're here to pick you up and take you downtown."_

_ "I'll be right there." Casey said and turned around to grab her coat from the hook by the door. _

_ "Agent?" Derek's unexpected voice startled her and Casey let out a shriek._

_ "Der-ek! What are you still doing here?" She glared at him as she clutched the coat to her rapidly beating heart. _

_ "I slept in." He shrugged. "Where are you off to and why did that guy just call you 'Agent McDonald'?"_

Crap! _Casey cursed inwardly as she tried to think up an excuse. _

_ "He didn't call me Agent... He... uh... is an agent..."_

_ "An Agent for what? And why are you getting a ride with him?"_

_ "He's a dancing agent and I'm going to audition for him."_

_ "Since when are you into dancing for Agents?"_

_ "I'm not but he is another friend of my grandma's and wants me to be in a show..."_

_ "Aren't you too busy with work to focus on dancing?"_

_ "Yes, I am going to turn down his offer this afternoon."_

_ "Then what's the point in auditioning for him?"_

_ "For fun." Casey shrugged and pulled open the door. "I really have to go now, Derek. When you leave, can you please make sure my door is locked? Thanks." She said and exited the apartment with a heavy sigh of relief. _

I doubt he bought that story but at least I was able to escape. _She thought and made her way down the hallway to meet the NSA agents driving her to their secret operation._

(=)

_Temporary NSA Headquarters_

_Downtown Kingston_

_12:34 AM_

_Casey was becoming impatient as she and Benjamin sat waiting in a different room from the one they'd been handcuffed in and interrogated the previous night. This room was larger with a couple of brown couches placed against the wall, and a round table in the center surrounded by chairs._

_ "It's almost been an hour since we arrived and they still haven't shown their faces. What is taking so long?" Casey complained as she paced the floor in front of the couch Ben was lounging on. _

_ "Casey, you need to patient. Why don't you sit down and relax?" Ben said as he grabbed her arm and forced her to sit next to him._

_ Casey sighed, "It's not that easy for me to relax when the whole Agency has been poisoned by my former handler and friend and we are now under orders by the NSA."_

_ Ben placed a comforting hand on her back as he spoke softly, "We really didn't get to talk much after that whole revelation last night... I know you and Phil were close... How are you holding up?"_

_ "He left me a message on my phone last night." _

_ Her partner's eyes widened in shock, "What did he say?"_

_ "Pretty much that he feels bad about what he did and that he doesn't want me to look for him because the people he works with are dangerous."_

_ "At least you know he cares about you."_

_ Casey scoffed, "If he really cared about me then he wouldn't have done all of this in the first place! There is no way that I am turning my back on this case. We're going to find Phil and bring him down."_

_ "No, Agent McDonald," Richmond Carlson said as he stepped into the room with a serious expression on his face, "the NSA is going to bring him down while you and your partner stay away from this case."_

_ "What?" Casey and Ben both exclaimed as they jumped from their seats and glared at the man before them._

_ "You heard me." Carlson glared right back at them. "The fact that you two are the only remaining R.E.D. agents who are not unconscious still leaves room for suspicions and you didn't even bother informing us about your little phone call from Greenwood." He looked at Casey._

_ "You were observing us?" Casey frowned. _

_ "Of course we were." He shrugged indifferently. _

_ "Why?"_

_ "Isn't it obvious? We don't trust you."_

"_I thought we made it clear that we had nothing to do with what happened?" Ben spoke through clenched teeth as he stared at the man with rage._

"_You did."_

"_Then why don't you trust us?" Casey demanded to know._

"_Why didn't you tell us about the message from your former handler?"_

_ "I would have told you about it as soon as you decided to show your faces around here instead of making us sit in a waiting room for an hour while you watched us on cameras!" Casey raised her voice in fury._

_ "I don't care what you say. The two of you are too close to this mission and I can't have you interfering with the investigation." Carlson shook his head._

_ "We can help!"_

_ "Not from the field."_

_ "What are you going to do, lock us up?" _

_ "Do I have reason to?" He raised a cocky brow at them. "If you promise not to go behind my back and try to locate Greenwood and the rest of his scheming double agents on your own, then I won't have to, will I?"_

_ Casey wanted to punch that smug look off his face but she knew that her days of being a spy would be over all too quickly with one swing of her fist, so she kept it at her side and continued to glower at him._

_ "What will it be, Agents?" _

_ "We promise." Ben nodded his head and Casey spun to stare at him with surprise._

_ "What?"_

_ "Casey, we either do what he says or get locked up." She saw a glint of something in his eyes, telling her that he had a plan and Casey slowly nodded her head._

_ "Fine, we'll do what you want." She growled bitterly._

_ Agent Carlson sneered, "That's what I like to hear."_

_ "So now what?" Ben asked._

_ "Now the two of you can run along until I decide I need you. Oh, and Miss. McDonald can leave her phone with us."_

_ "Excuse me?" Casey shouted, beyond furious now._

_ "Your phone contains information pertaining to this case and is now in the possession of the government of the United States, so please hand it over." He said and held out his hand._

_ Casey clutched the cell phone tightly and was about to put up a fight when she felt Ben place his hand over hers and whisper in her ear, "Just give it to him, Casey, he's not worth losing your job over."_

_ She swallowed the anger building inside and slowly handed her cell phone to Agent Carlson while continuing to stare daggers into his eyes. _

_ "Thank you, Agent McDonald." Carlson smiled and placed the phone in an evidence bag. "You two are dismissed. My agents would be happy to drive you back to your homes."_

_ "That won't be necessary." Ben replied. "We can find our own ways home, but thanks for the offer." He said and turned to leave; biting back the words he really wanted to say._

_ "Just so you know, the two of you will be monitored for safety precautions."_

_ "Of course we will be." Casey muttered with sarcasm and followed Benjamin out the door, shooting one more vicious glance over her shoulder at the NSA director._

(=)

_Streets of Downtown, Kingston_

_12:50 PM_

"_How could you be so calm in there? I wanted to rip that jerk's head off!" Casey exclaimed with clenched fists once she and her partner were a couple blocks away from the building the NSA was holding up in for the time being. _

_ "Trust me, Casey, I would have gladly joined you in removing his hideous face but then we would be locked up and my plan wouldn't work so well from a cell."_

_ Casey grinned up at him, "I knew you were working something out in that brain of yours."_

_ "Yes, and Agent Carlson is going to regret not enlisting the help of Bluebird and Honey Pot." He said as he wrapped an arm around Casey's shoulder while they continued walking, sending butterflies to flutter madly in her stomach at his touch._

_ "Are you going to let me in on this devious plan or do I have to guess...?"_

_ "Well... watching you try to guess would be fun..." He smirked down at her. _

_ Casey elbowed him in the ribs, "Just tell me or your code name goes back to Winnie the Pooh." _

_ Ben grimaced at the thought, "Don't be hasty! I'll fill you in... But first we need to ditch the NSA cronies trying to inconspicuously follow us." He whispered the last part and gestured to the two men in suits pretending to read newspapers while keeping a safe distance from them._

_ "Carlson is such slime." Casey scowled in disgust. _

_ "You said it." Ben agreed and leaned closer to her ear. "On the count of three we split up. Meet me at R.E.D. Headquarters in an hour."_

_ "But the NSA has it heavily guarded and locked down... What are we going to do; break in?"_

_ "If we want to have a word with Chip, then that's precisely what we'll do."_

_ Casey's eyes widened briefly before Ben met her gaze with a reassuring smile, "We'll be fine, Casey. I know we can do this. Phil made a mistake by letting us remain unaffected by the poison. Let's show that scum that we can clean him, and the rest of the dirt that's trying to take over, off of our streets once and for all."_

_ Casey nodded with a smile, "Let's do it."_

_ "And one more thing..." Ben smiled mischievously as he lowered his face to hers, and before Casey could open her mouth to speak, Ben placed a quick kiss on her lips._

"_I'll see you in a couple of hours," he grinned before taking off and hollering something unintelligible to the NSA agents that took off after him._

_ A blush made its way to Casey cheeks as she touched her lips still tingling from his touch but another part of her felt like something was missing from that kiss... or maybe someone..._

_ Before Casey could fully process the perplexed thoughts running through her mind, a voice shouted to her and she saw two more NSA agents making their way towards her. _

_ "Bring it on, boys." She grinned and immediately took off running in the opposite direction her partner had gone._

* * *

><p><strong>Please tell me your thoughts... I really do appreciate them. <strong>**The more the reviews the better! :D**

**Randomness: Have you ever tried Peanut butter filled Pretzels? They're so Yummy! I bought a giant jar of them at the store and keep it by my bed. :)  
><strong>


	20. Chapter 20

**I just finished this and decided to upload it before I go to work. I think you'll enjoy this chapter... ;)**

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><p><strong>Chapter 20<strong>

Hotel

Munich, Bavaria, Germany

2:41 AM

"Why do you and Karma get your own rooms but I have to share with Derek?" Casey complained to her partner in the lobby of the hotel they would be staying at while in the city of Munich.

"Because he is _your _stepbrother and_ your_ responsibility." Ben grinned at her.

"Yeah, well thanks to you, he now hates me again." She glared at him.

"I'd say the hate was more directed at me than you," Ben said as he glanced over her shoulder with an amused expression, "considering he hasn't stopped looking at me like he wants to kill me since we landed in Germany."

"What?" Casey's eyes widened as she turned around to see that Derek was in fact scowling at Ben. When he noticed her looking, he quickly averted his eyes and pretended to be looking at a brochure in his hands.

"He's not jealous at all." Ben quipped with sarcasm as he grabbed his bag and started heading towards the elevator that would take them to their rooms.

Casey huffed and blew a piece of hair from her eye while glancing warily in Derek's direction again before picking up her luggage and following her misguided partner.

Neither Derek nor Karma had spoken a word to her and Ben, unless they had to, since the whole incident on the plane. It was starting to bother Casey and she knew that she needed to make things right again. She hated people being upset with her, especially Derek and her new friend/trainee.

"Are you going to be fine in a room by yourself?" Casey asked Karma as the young blonde stepped inside the elevator and stood next to her.

"I'm not a child, Casey." She responded grimly.

"I didn't say you were."

"You sure act like it enough. Both of you do." She snapped, gesturing to Ben who stood on the other side of Casey.

"Karma..." Casey tried to speak but was cut off by the furious expression clouding the young woman's face.

"Just never mind." Karma shook her head as the elevator stopped on their floor and she hurried off in search of her room.

"What's gotten into her?" Ben raised a curious brow.

Casey sighed with a shake of her head, "You may be smart but you're also stupid."

She heard Derek snort from behind her before he pushed past her and started looking for the room they would be sharing.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ben frowned down at her as they both made their way out of the enclosed space and began walking down the narrow hallway with coloured doors on either side of them.

"Never mind, Ben. I'll talk to Karma later."

"You're blaming me for her sour mood as well, aren't you?"

"Yes."

"But she's angry with the both of us."

"It's your fault she's angry, Benjamin!" Casey raised her voice.

"I don't even get why she's so angry." He mumbled as he watched the numbers on the doors.

"That's because you don't get women."

"I get you." He grinned at her as he waggled his brows.

Derek stopped a few feet away from them and Casey noticed his shoulders stiffen slightly before he glanced at the door on his left and opened it with the key card in his hands.

"Stop doing that!" Casey hissed at her partner once Derek disappeared behind the door.

"Stop doing what?"

"Acting all '_flirtatious_' with me. I know what you're doing and I want it to stop."

Ben's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, "I wasn't _doing _anything. We've always teased each other like that."

Her eyes narrowed at him as she took a step towards him, backing him against the wall, "So you biting my earlobe on the plane was just '_teasing_'?" She demanded to know.

Ben's expression turned to one of surprise and his cheeks became red as he avoided meeting her gaze, "I... yes... I mean no... It sort of... just happened..."

Casey noticed his discomfort and was confused as she lowered her voice to speak to him, "Why did you do it, Ben?"

He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the wall behind her, "I guess I got caught up in the moment..."

"Is that all it was?"

He finally met her gaze with a serious expression, "What else would it be?"

"I..." She opened her mouth to speak but couldn't form the right words.

_Does Ben still have feelings for me...? Did he ever actually have feelings for me...? _

"Oh, look, my room is right across from yours." Ben's voice spoke up, changing the subject as he glanced at the door next to the wall he was still standing against.

"We... better get some sleep." Casey sighed and stepped away from him.

"I'll call you in the morning to let you know the plan." Ben said as he made his way towards his door.

Casey nodded, "See you in the morning."

"Casey," Ben turned to look at her as he fidgeted with the key card in his hand, "I'm sorry about earlier with Derek. I did take it too far and it won't happen again."

Casey smiled at him and decided not to reply as she unlocked the hotel door and entered the room, closing the door behind her with a sigh.

"You and Ben done making out in the hallway?" Derek's harsh voice startled her as she turned to see him lying upon one of the double beds in the room.

She rolled her eyes at him while entering the small space and set her suitcase down on the other bed, "We weren't making out."

Her stepbrother scoffed as he sat up and stared at her, "Yeah right. I've seen the way he looks at you, Case; I'm not an idiot."

"I already told you that there's nothing going on between me and my partner."

"Really? Then what was with that whole display on the jet?" He glared at her. "It didn't seem like nothing to me."

Casey returned his glare as she sat on the bed across from him, "Why do you care anyway?"

His eyes widened at her question before flitting to the blanket below him, "I don't."

"So then why did you get all angry and storm off on the plane?"

He was silent for a moment and Casey was beginning to feel uneasy in his presence as she watched him open and close his mouth a couple of times before he finally stood up and made his way into the bathroom without another word.

_Could Derek actually be jealous of Ben? _Casey wondered with wide eyes. _He obviously couldn't think up an excuse for the way he'd behaved on the plane and that's why he decided to hide out in the bathroom instead... But why would Derek be jealous? _

Casey let out a yawn and knew she needed to get some sleep before they began the mission tomorrow. It wasn't going to be easy tracking down Haldega in such a big city, so she needed all the rest she could get, which meant she had to stop thinking about Ben and Derek.

_Focus on the mission, Casey. Your soap opera life can wait till after you catch Haldega. _She chided herself as she grabbed a pair of pyjamas from her suitcase, as well as the other necessities she needed for her bedtime ritual.

_If Derek isn't out of that bathroom in one minute, then I'm kicking him out. _She concluded as she glanced at the closed door on the other side of the room and waited.

(=)

Casey cheered within the crowd as the black and white ball flew into the net, scoring another goal and eliciting a wide grin to spread across the young soccer player's face as she celebrated with her teammates.

Suddenly the arena turned dark and the crowd was no longer clapping and rejoicing. Casey glanced around and noticed that the whole place had gone still. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand to attention as a dark figure darted past her and made his way towards the field of soccer players.

"You should've kept your mouth shut, Casey." A sinister voice whispered in her ear. "Now they will all pay, starting with your beloved sister."

Casey's stomach lurched when she caught sight of a gun in the dark figure's hand. He lifted it up and aimed it at the carefree college student who had just scored the winning goal for her team.

"No!" Casey cried and tried to move but her body wouldn't budge. It was like she was paralyzed and glued to the floor.

The dark figure turned his head to face her and an evil grin broke out on his face as Casey stared into the eyes of Phillip Greenwood.

"I told you what would happen if you told." He said to her. "This is your fault."

Tears were beginning to run down Casey's face as she stood there helpless while Phil's finger tightened on the trigger.

"Lizzie!" Casey screamed desperately but her sister couldn't hear her; nobody could. She was alone and there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"Say goodbye to the one you love." Phil's black eyes sneered.

He suddenly spun the gun away from her sister and pointed it to the spot right next to her. Casey's eyes flashed with confusion as she looked to see who he was aiming at.

Suddenly the gun went off with a gut wrenching blast and Casey's eyes connected with the brown eyed man standing next to her, clutching his heart as warm, red liquid poured out.

"No!" Casey screamed in horror. "Derek!"

"You did this, Casey. You knew that telling him would endanger his life." Phil's voice whispered in her ear once again.

Casey sobbed loudly as Derek's body collapsed to the ground and his breathing became shallow.

"You're the one that killed him."

Casey swung her gaze back to Phil and gasped with terror stricken eyes as she stared at _herself_ in Phil's place with the gun in her hand; the same gun that shot Derek.

"He's dead because of you."

She was finally able to move as she knelt down next to Derek and grasped his bloody hand in hers.

"Derek, I'm so sorry. Please don't leave me!" She begged through tears.

"Casey." He breathed out his last breath and fell limp in her arms.

(=)

6:08 AM

Casey bolted up right in bed with a gasp. Her breathing was rapid and her face was wet with tears still falling.

_It was a dream. _She concluded as she wiped at her eyes and looked around the dimly lit hotel room.

"Case?" A voice that caused her heart beat to quicken even faster spoke through the darkness. "Are you okay?"

Casey turned towards the double bed next to hers, praying that her stepbrother couldn't see the state she was in.

"I'm fine." She lied.

There was a shuffling sound and suddenly the room was lit up by the bedside lamp being turned on. Casey quickly hid her face from view with her hands and looked away from Derek's concerned eyes.

"I thought I heard you crying." He spoke and she knew he was now sitting on the edge of his bed facing her.

"I... I just..." She couldn't form the right words to come out of her mouth as scenes from the dream continued to haunt her mind.

"What were you dreaming about?" His soft voice questioned.

"It was nothing." Casey shook her head.

She heard Derek let out a sigh and suddenly the bed dipped down on the other side of her and she felt his hand on her shoulder sending a spark of electricity to ignite throughout her body.

"Look at me, Casey." He said as he lowered his hand from her shoulder to her wrist.

"I can't."

"Yes you can."

She felt both of his hands on hers now as he pulled them from her face and held them in her lap. Casey tried to turn away but his hand was now touching her cheek, forcing her to look at him as he brushed away a stray tear with his thumb.

"What were you dreaming about?" He asked again, this time with more determination.

Goose bumps tickled her skin and Casey couldn't help the shiver that ran down her spine as she looked up into her stepbrother's concerned brown eyes.

"I..." she hesitated to speak and her breath hitched slightly at the feel of Derek's hand squeezing hers. "I shouldn't have told you about those files."

"Why not?"

"Because... It's dangerous."

His gaze turned serious as he spoke, "Case, you need to tell me where you got those files from."

Casey shook her head and tried to pull away from him but he held her even tighter.

"Why won't you tell me? Is someone threatening you?"

"Derek, let go of me. We can't discuss this anymore." Casey's voice deepened as she looked away from him.

"No, not until you tell me what's going on. I know you're hiding something more from me and that it's something serious, especially since it's affecting your dreams as well."

"I can't."

She looked so broken and so helpless in the way she spoke those two words and Derek knew he couldn't press this matter; not now. Instead, Derek pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms completely around her, something he'd only ever done once before.

"If you won't tell me about that then at least tell me what happened in your dream to make you cry." He said as his chin rested atop her head.

Casey let out a shaky breath, not just from the shock of Derek holding her like this but also because she wasn't sure how to tell him that she was crying because he'd died.

"In my dream... you were shot..." She spoke softly, thankful that her face was hidden against his broad chest. "It was my fault that you..." She took in a deep breath before continuing, "You...died."

Derek's hand began rubbing her back as he replied, "It was just a dream, Casey."

She shook her head and pulled away to stare up into his eyes, "It wasn't just a dream, Derek. Your life is in danger now that you know what I really do. You shouldn't have even come on this mission. It's not safe. You're not safe, especially around me."

"And what about _your_ life?" He glared down at her. "Just because you have more training doesn't mean your life is any safer than mine."

"I _chose_ this life though, Derek. You were suddenly thrust into it only because you found out my secret and Haldega thinks you know something about him. It'll be my fault if anything happens to you."

"Casey," Derek said as he gripped her shoulders and his face was about an inch from hers, "Nothing is going to happen to me, and even if something does, it won't be your fault. I chose to come along and I chose to stay with you. I'd rather be here, risking my life, than be worrying sick about you back in Toronto."

Casey wanted to speak but the words were lodged back in her throat as she stared into his eyes, seeing something in them that made her stomach flutter and her head spin.

_What is going on? Why is Derek looking at me like that?_

She caught his gaze lower towards her lips for a moment before he returned it.

"Casey, I..." Derek started to speak but was suddenly caught off guard by Casey launching herself at him and closing the space between them with her lips pressed to his.

Derek's eyes widened briefly before he closed them and started kissing her back. His hands clutched at her waist as hers wound their way around his neck and he pulled her to him desperately. He knew that it wouldn't be too much longer before Casey suddenly realized what she'd done and retreated from him with remorse, so he let this moment absorb him as much as possible, memorizing the feel of her soft lips upon his and their bodies pressed together.

Just like he expected, Casey suddenly tensed under his touch and he groaned when she began to pull away.

"Don't think about it, Casey." Derek said as his grip on her tightened and he touched his lips to hers again.

She kissed him back but she knew this was wrong and knew it needed to stop. She was making out with Derek, her _stepbrother_.

"We can't..." She breathed out, not wanting to stop but knowing she had to.

"Why?" Derek looked into her eyes and she could tell that he was hurt by her words.

"You know why." She deadpanned and removed his hands from her waist as she stood up from the bed.

"It's Ben, isn't it?" He lowered his gaze to the bed sheets. "You have feelings for him, don't you?"

"No, I..." She started say but stopped. She wasn't sure how she felt towards Ben anymore. She'd always had feelings for her partner but wasn't sure what kind of feelings they were. "Derek, you're my... We're..."

Derek held up his hand as he stood from the bed across from her, "I know what we are, Casey!"

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"Not as much as it does you, obviously."

"Look, Derek..." Casey sighed as she ran a frustrated hand through her hair that was slightly tangled from sleeping. "I don't know what I was thinking when I... kissed you..."

Derek snorted as he looked away from her, "Just save it. I already know what you're going to say and I feel the same way. It was a mistake and it won't happen again. I hope you and Benjamin are happy together." He scowled.

Casey's eyes widened, "You really are jealous of him aren't you?"

"Not anymore." He glowered at her and turned towards the bathroom.

"Derek..." Casey took a step towards him but a sudden knock at the door halted both of their movements.

"Casey, Derek, open up!" Ben's voice hollered from the other side.

She thought she heard Derek mumble something as he walked towards the door and unlocked it.

"Do you realize what time it is?" He asked Ben as her partner entered their hotel room.

Ben ignored Derek's comment as he made his way towards her, "We need to get going. I just heard from the Colonel that Haldega's already on the move. He's meeting up with the founders of NicoTech, including Nicolas Walls, this afternoon."

Casey's eyes widened and she decided to push all thoughts of what she'd just done with Derek to the back of her mind as she replied, "We better wake up Karma and get going."

"Where are we going?" Derek asked.

"_You're_ not going anywhere." Casey snapped at him. "Just because Colonel Kluess let you come to Germany, doesn't mean you're following us along on the missions. It's too dangerous."

"What did I just finish explaining to you?" Derek growled at her. "I don't care if I'm putting my life in danger. I'm coming!"

Casey was about to object but Ben cut her off.

"Just let him come, Casey. He may turn out to be useful."

Casey glared at her partner, "If Haldega sees him he'll kill him on the spot."

"I'll wear a disguise." Derek shrugged. "Isn't that what you do to protect your identity from your enemies?"

"Yes but..."

"Then it's settled. I'm coming with you." He said before he grabbed a change of clothes and walked into the bathroom.

"You were supposed to back me up!" Casey turned on Ben with a vicious glare.

"Did something happen between you two?" Ben asked with a curious gaze, ignoring the fact that she was angry with him.

Casey faltered, "W... Why?"

"Because you two seem tense... more than usual anyway..."

"Shouldn't you go wake up Karma?" Casey changed the subject.

Ben frowned at her, "Fine, don't tell me." He said and turned to leave the room. "But whatever it is, you two really need to talk about it because we can't have your problems interfering with the mission."

"I don't know how to talk about it." Casey sighed under breath once he'd left the room. "I don't even know why I did it..."

_Or do I...?_

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><p><em><em>**Please, please, tell me what you think. It really means a lot and honestly, your reviews help me finish a chapter and upload faster, so if you want another chapter quickly, then please review.**

**Thank you for reading!**

**Now my stomach is full from chicken and dumplings and I'm off to work. Bleh.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Wow... I've never written a fanfiction past nineteen chapters and here I am at twenty-one and not sure when it will end yet. Sweet! **

**Just like I promised, I made sure to update sooner, especially since I received all of your lovely reviews. They honestly did motivate me. I even stayed up till 2 AM just to finish this chapter for you.**

**I hope you like it...**

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><p><strong>Chapter 21<strong>

NicoTech Division

Munich, Bavaria

9:48 AM

"Stop fidgeting with the wig." Casey whispered harshly to her stepbrother as they sat in their rented van outside of the tall glass building known as _NicoTech Division_.

"It itches." Derek grumbled as he scratched at the curly, black hairpiece on top of his head.

"Welcome to life of being a spy." Ben smirked as he adjusted his own black wig upon his head.

"Stop touching your wigs, boys, and let's go over the plan one more time." Casey instructed and stared down at the laptop sitting in front of her.

"Casey, we've already gone through it three times." Ben complained. "By the time we actually set the plan in action, Haldega will already have the device."

"I just want to make sure we didn't miss anything."

"Keener." Derek coughed into his hand.

Casey closed her laptop and glared at him, "Fine, we won't go over it again," both men and Karma let out a sighs of relief at the news. "But don't blame me if you mess up."

"We won't mess up. The plan will work and we'll have Haldega in our custody by the end of the day." Ben smiled reassuringly at her. "You need to stop worrying so much, Casey." He added with a pat on her shoulder.

She noticed Derek glance away with a scowl when Ben touched her and she quickly shifted her body so that her partner's hand fell away.

"Karma, are you ready?" Casey turned to the young woman who was sitting in the back seat staring out the window. She still hadn't been talking much and it was starting to worry Casey.

"Maybe you and Ben should go in together. I wouldn't want to break up your partnership." Karma replied, keeping her eyes on the passing cars outside.

"I don't mind either way." Ben shrugged.

Casey shook her head and sent a glare his way before addressing Karma once again, "No, Ben needs to stay here with Derek. It's time you started to learn the skill of working an Alias, so let's go." She said and adjusted the short blonde wig on her head then opened the passenger side door.

Karma sighed and knew there was no point in arguing further as she opened up the sliding door and stepped out alongside Casey.

"Can everyone hear me?" Casey asked as she touched her ear where the tiny communications device was embedded.

"Loud and clear, Bluebird." Ben gave her a thumbs up and the other two nodded as well.

Casey let out an anxious sigh as she stared up at the massive building before her. An odd feeling crept into her stomach like she knew something awful was going to happen but she shook it off and nodded to her trainee once the van door was closed.

"Ready?"

"Yes." Karma replied with a frown.

"Then let's do this."

(=)

9:59 AM

Casey and Karma entered NicoTech Division with strides of confidence as their high heels clacked against the black marble floor of the lobby area. They both wore slim fitting suit jackets over low cut blouses and knee high skirts. Casey's was a light grey and Karma's was black. Casey also adorned a pair of thin wire rimmed glasses over her eyes, which gave her the look of smart but sexy and Karma had her brown wig tied back in a loose pony tail. They both gave off the presence of professional women with a feisty side to them.

"Show me what you got." Casey whispered to the young spy next to her as they approached the wide oak receptionist desk in the middle of the room where an elderly woman sat typing on a computer and answering phones.

"Good morning," Karma spoke in a perfect German accent as she greeted the woman. "My associate and I were sent here from the Hans Foundation to inspect your building and staff. We were scheduled for later this afternoon but a turn of events has changed that."

The woman behind the desk stared up at them with scrutinizing eyes, "What are your names?"

"My name is Heidi Smitt and this is Gertrude Warran." Karma replied with a polite smile.

Thanks to Karma's hacking skills, she'd been able to access the NicoTech Division files and change some information.

The woman glanced down at her computer as she typed on the keyboard.

"I see the appointment but not your names."

"Yes, we were replaced last minute."

The woman narrowed her eyes at them, "I need to confirm that before I let you in."

"Of course." Karma nodded as the woman began dialling a number and put it on speaker phone.

The line rang a couple of times before the German accented voice of Benjamin answered, "Hello, this is the Hans Foundation, how can we assist you today?"

Both women inwardly sighed with relief at the sound of his voice. The plan was working smoothly already.

"Yes, this is Ina Sharb I am calling from NicoTech Division to confirm the employees you sent down here for an inspection."

"Ah, yes, sorry for the confusion, Ma'am. We had to send replacements in last minute due to private matters. I hope that doesn't cause any problems."

"Not at all, Sir. I just need the names of the employees you sent over before I can allow them access to the building."

"I understand. Let me just see here," He paused on the other end, probably pretending to search through files. "Here it is. Our company sent over two highly qualified women: Miss. Heidi Smitt and Miss. Gertrude Warran."

The receptionist looked up at them with a surprised expression as if she'd expected them to be imposters and then frowned back down at her computer as she spoke into the phone, "Thank you, Sir." She said and hung up the receiver.

"You may proceed into the building. The fifteenth and sixteenth floors are off limits to all personnel without a pass code. Here are the identification badges you will need to get past security." She said as she handed them two tags with the word Visitors written across the laminated paper.

Casey and Karma both smiled at the woman as they pinned the tags to their suit jackets.

"Thank you." Karma said and began walking in the direction of the elevators.

"Nice job." Casey complimented her as Karma pressed the up button and they waited for one of the three doors to open up for them.

Karma didn't reply as she stared down at the floor below them and bit her lip.

"Karma, would you please stop ignoring me? You're being ridiculous. If you don't want to be seen as a child then you need to stop acting like one." Casey finally breathed out as she turned the young woman to face her.

Karma let out a sigh and met Casey's gaze apologetically, "I'm sorry. You're right. I am acting childish."

"Why are you so angry with me?"

"I'm not angry with you, Casey." She said as guilt flashed in her eyes. "I'm angry with myself."

"How come?"

Karma glanced around their surroundings warily before gesturing to the comms device in her ear with a pointed look.

Casey realized what she was telling her and nodded in understanding. She didn't want Ben and Derek listening in on their "girl talk".

Casey grinned mischievously as she discretely removed the earpiece from her ear and pressed a tiny button on it before replacing it back to its home in the side of her head.

Karma raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity as one of the elevators dinged open and the two women stepped inside, grateful that it was empty.

Once the doors were closed and they pressed the number for the fourteenth floor, Casey quietly pulled the earpiece from her trainee's ear and pressed the same button before handing it back to her.

"Bluebird, Rainforest, why are you so quiet all of a sudden?" Ben's voice spoke in their ears. "You better not have done what I think you did!"

Casey grinned.

"What did you do to them?" Karma wondered with a smile while placing the small device back in her ear.

"I put them on mute. We can still hear them but they can't hear us."

"Turn your earpieces back on this instant!" Ben ordered but Casey ignored him.

"Isn't that dangerous? What if something happens?" Karma asked.

"We'll be quick. Now tell me what's going on before we hit our destination. Why are you angry with yourself?"

Karma let out a deep breath and started fidgeting with her hands, "I don't know... It's stupid..."

"You like Ben, don't you?" Casey got right to the point and judging by the deep shade of red that darkened Karma's face, Casey had guessed correctly.

"I guess I do a bit... But you don't have to worry. I'm not trying to steal him away from you or anything. It's just a silly crush. I'll get over it."

Casey's eyes widened, "What do you mean _steal him_? Ben and I are not together."

"But you might as well be. I see the way he looks at you. Even yesterday in the jet when he was trying to rile Derek up, I could tell he did it for himself as well. He enjoys being close to you."

Casey shook her head profusely, "No, no, no... Ben and I are just partners."

Karma scoffed, "I've noticed the way you look at him sometimes too, Casey, and don't deny it."

Casey let out a sigh as she stared at the young woman with a serious expression, "Look, Ben and I sort of... had a thing a long time ago..."

"By a '_thing_', do you mean sex?" Karma raised a brow.

Casey choked with horrified eyes, "No! I just meant that I used to really like him and we sort of... kissed once..."

"You two kissed?" Casey could see the jealousy behind Karma's eyes and looked away from her in embarrassment.

"Well... technically he kissed me. It didn't really mean anything... at least I think..."

"So you _used _to like him?" Karma folded her arms against her chest with a disbelieving gaze.

"Yes." Casey shrugged. "After a while he became more of a friend to me and his attractiveness wasn't that big of a deal anymore."

"I find that hard to believe, Casey. I think that deep down you still have some sorts of feelings for him."

Casey wanted to object but instead she shook her head, "Honestly, Karma, my feelings haven't made sense to me for a long time. Maybe I do still like Ben...? But what about Derek?"

"What _about_ Derek?" Karma's eyes sparkled with interest.

Casey immediately shut her mouth and averted her gaze.

_Don't speak or even look at her because you're too emotional right now to keep your feelings in check, especially with what just happened between you and your stepbrother a few hours ago! You're liable to start telling her everything and that wouldn't be good. _Casey scolded herself in her head.

"Casey? Did something happen between you and Derek?" Karma questioned as she grabbed Casey's forearm, trying to look into her eyes.

Just as Casey was about to open her mouth, the elevator dinged and the doors opened before them.

Casey let out the breath she'd been holding as the duo stepped out of the enclosed space into a carpeted hallway that was dimly lit by the lights above them.

"Bluebird, Rainforest...? You two better answer me right now!" Ben's voice hollered in their ears loudly, causing both women to flinch momentarily.

Casey quickly removed the comms device from her ear at the same time as Karma and they both turned the mute button off, and then placed them back in their ears.

"Sorry, Honey Pot, there must have been some interference in the elevator. We're out now and can hear you loud and clear." Casey spoke to her partner while Karma smirked from beside her.

"Interference, my ass." Ben snorted. "Don't put us on mute again. We have a mission here in case you don't remember."

"Whatever you say, Boss." Casey rolled her eyes as she and Karma began making their way down the hallway.

"I saw that eye roll." Ben chided. "Don't be getting sassy with me."

"I'm guessing you got in to their camera system?" Karma spoke with a chuckle.

"Yes, it wasn't easy but surprisingly Derek was a lot of help."

"I took a computer and video course in Uni." Derek's voice replied nonchalantly.

For a moment, Casey had forgotten he was there. Hearing the sound of his voice over the comms device was unsettling. She still did not like the idea of bringing her stepbrother along on their mission.

"So which way do you want us to go now?" Karma asked Ben as they reached a T-section in the hall.

"Go right. There are a couple of security guards coming your way. They have the access codes on their ID badges. Be quick though, we don't want to alert anyone."

Both women took the hall on the right and immediately spotted the two security guards walking towards them. They were both younger men; one was super tall with short light brown hair and a strong jaw bone, while the other was average height with a shaved head and big arms.

The men noticed them and looked them up and down before speaking in their German accents, "Hello, ladies. Do you have access to be up here?" The shorter man asked with a smile.

Casey flipped her hair back and gave him a seductive look, "We're actually lost, Sir. Could you point us in the direction to the stairs?"

His grin widened as he stared at her hungrily and nodded, "Of course, anything for such a beautiful woman."

She thought she heard Derek snort in amusement in her ear but chose to ignore him as she continued to flirt with the security guards.

"You're not so bad yourself." She winked at the shorter man.

"How about we assist you to your destination?" He asked as he offered her his arm to take.

"I have a better idea." Casey smiled as she whispered in his ear.

"Oh do you now?" He grinned at her as he let his hand rest on her lower back, just above her rear.

"Yes, we're taking your access codes." Casey said and before the man could react, Case had punched him in the stomach and then grabbed him by the shoulders and kneed him in the head, knocking him out instantly.

"A little rough, don't you think?" Ben chuckled in her ear.

"I don't like creepy men touching me." Casey shrugged with a smirk.

She turned to see that Karma was now engaged in a scuffle with the taller man but decided to stand back and see how she would handle it.

The man growled and grabbed Karma in a headlock. She managed to escape his hold however and twist his arm behind his back while pinching at a pressure point on the back of his neck and rendering him unconscious.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Casey stared at her astonishment.

Karma shrugged, "I saw it on TV once."

"You're going to have to teach me that later on."

"Enough of the chit chat, ladies. Let's grab the codes and hurry up." Ben spoke.

Casey rolled her eyes once again as she and Karma bent down and snatched the ID cards from the men's shirts.

"We should hide the bodies in case someone sees them." Casey said as she opened the nearest door to find an empty supply closet. "Perfect." She smiled.

Both women grunted as they worked together to drag the two security guards into the closet.

"You two need to build more muscle." Derek commented.

"Shut up. This isn't easy, you know." Casey retorted once they'd finished and closed the door behind them.

"That only took fifteen minutes." Ben snipped with sarcasm.

"Quit with the jokes and tell us where to go next."

"The stairs are just around the next corner through the door on the left. So far you're in the clear but I'd hurry it up."

"Is he always this bossy on missions?" Karma asked as the two of them jogged down the narrow hallway.

"He likes to think he's in charge but he's not." Casey's replied with a smirk.

"I heard that." Ben's voice whined.

Casey and Karma opened the door to the stairwell and began ascending the steps to the fifteenth floor. They stopped at the metal door with a key pad inserted at the side of it and Casey pulled out the access code she'd stolen from the German Security guard. With one swipe the door opened and she and Karma entered the forbidden level.

"Now where to?" Karma asked into the earpiece.

"There should be a room at the end of the first hall where they test all of the equipment. Nicolas Walls usually spend most of his time in there. You get to him, and you'll get to the device known as NicoTech. Just be on your guard because the place is highly restricted and security is doubled when the creator is around."

"Can you get a visual inside the room?" Casey asked.

Ben sighed, "Nope, the footage is blocked. I can try to hack into it but it may take a while."

"We don't have that long. We'll have to take the risk and go in blind."

"But what if there's like ten armed men in the room?" Derek's voice protested. "They could kill you in an instant!"

"We have no choice, Derek. Haldega is most likely on his way up here as we speak. We need to retrieve that device and get Nicolas Walls to safety now or who knows what will happen."

"Case, I just have a bad feeling about this."

_So do I. _Casey thought to herself.

"Maybe you should wait for me to come there as well..." Ben suggested.

"No," Casey shook her head. "We're going in. End of discussion. You two just keep watch on the other cameras in case you spot Haldega."

"You sure this is a good idea?" Karma whispered to her hesitantly.

_No. _Casey thought but ignored her conscience.

"We'll be fine. You ready?" She asked as she took out her tranquilizer gun from the back of her skirt and held it up.

Karma held out her own gun and nodded as both women crept towards the door.

Casey swiped the ID card into the key pad at the side and the door clicked open.

They were met by silence as they walked into the room which appeared to be a lab. Various amounts of equipment were set up around the place as well as fridges containing liquid samples of unknown substances.

"Do you see anything?" Ben's voice asked.

"Not yet. There doesn't appear to be anyone in here."

"Tell me where it is right now!" A voice suddenly shouted from the office attached to the lab.

Casey's eyes widened. She knew that voice.

"Haldega." She mouthed to Karma.

"Please, don't hurt me?" Another man's voice pleaded in a German accent.

Casey motioned to Karma and the young woman nodded as they both made their way towards the room with their guns held out in front of them.

The windows to the office were covered by drapes and they had no way of seeing inside as both agents stood on either side of the door and listened.

"Bluebird, what is going on?" Ben demanded to know.

Casey ignored her partner as the voices in the room became louder.

"I will not hesitate to put a bullet in your leg, Mr. Walls."

"What do you want with my device anyway?" Nicolas Walls asked desperately.

"Apparently I need it in order for the QT7 chip to work. Now hand it over. I am losing my patience."

"You're the one who murdered Reynolds?" The man gasped.

"Yes, and you will ne next."

"You might as well kill me. I know your intentions with my device are to do evil and I will not condone that. It is not what I created NicoTech for!"

"Uh-oh!" Ben's voice exclaimed into the earpieces. "Security found their fellow employees! They're going to put the pieces together! You guys need to get out of there now!"

Karma shot Casey a panicked look just before an alarm sounded throughout the building. Casey nodded at the spy in training as she grabbed the handle of the door and tried to twist it. It was locked. She then stepped back, lifted her foot and kicked the wooden frame as hard as she could.

"Don't move!" She and Karma yelled as the door fell open and they entered the room.

"Agent McDonald." Greggor Haldega sneered at her as he turned away from the man tied to a chair. "What a pleasant surprise."

"Drop your weapons! It's over for you, Haldega!" Casey ordered and pointed her gun at him and the two large men on either side of him, whom she recognized as none other than the men from the locker room in Boston.

"Did you just say Haldega?" Ben's voice shouted into her ear. "I'm on my way up, Bluebird!"

"Such a beautiful and naïve woman." Haldega tsked with a shake of his head.

"She's the witch that knocked us out in Boston!" One of the men growled with a fierce glare.

"Rainforest, take Walls and get out of here." Casey told Karma as she gestured towards the man in the chair.

"Did I say you could do that?" Haldega spoke as he lifted his gun and pointed it at Karma.

The alarms continued to blast around them as Karma froze in place. Without thinking, Casey kicked out her foot and knocked the weapon from Haldega's hands, sending it crashing to the other side of the room. She then rushed towards him and shoved him into the wall behind her, knocking his head against it.

His men advanced on her immediately in defence of their boss.

"You get Walls, I'll deal with them!" Casey shouted over the noise and Karma hurriedly began untying the creator of NicoTech.

Casey managed to punch the taller man in the face before the other one grabbed her from behind and held her in a vice grip, forcing her to drop her gun to the ground. She crushed her heel into his foot and he let out a yelp as his grip loosened on her. Once free, Casey spun around and kicked him in the face.

"You're not going to win this time, girly." The other man growled as he swung his fist and punched her in the jaw.

"Casey!" Karma cried. She'd just finished untying Nicolas and was getting ready to help in the fight but Casey shook her head.

"No, get him out of here!"

"I can't just leave you!"

"Go!" Casey screamed as the men continued to throw punches while she dodged them.

Karma gave her one last wary glance before she grabbed Nicolas Walls by the arm and dragged him out of the room.

Casey knew she couldn't take on these two forever and needed to come up with a plan or else they'd kill her. She jumped up on the chair that Nicolas had been tied to and did a back flip over it, narrowly missing another hit from their fists. Once on her feet, Casey picked up the chair and smashed it against the shorter man's head. He fell to the ground in a bloody mess and she quickly made a dash for the door.

Suddenly something pierced through her left shoulder and she let out a cry of pain when she realized she'd been shot. She grabbed at her wound and turned around to see Haldega aiming his gun at her.

"You're not going anywhere, Casey." The evil man sneered as he approached her.

"Casey? Case, are you alright?" Derek screamed into her earpiece. He must've heard her cry out.

Before Casey could react, Haldega lifted his gun and smashed the butt of it against her head. She groaned as she collapsed in his open arms.

"You're mine now." He said and everything went black.

* * *

><p><strong>Oh no! Another crazy cliff hanger! Sorry, but I couldn't help myself. ;)<strong>

**Please let me know what you thought of this chapter and I will make sure to update asap!**

**Thanks for being so awesome and supporting my obsession with writing!**


	22. Chapter 22

**You guys are Awesome! Thanks for the many Amazing reviews!**

**Here is the next chapter, it's in the past but I put in a little snippet of the present as well. :)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22<strong>

_Four Years Ago_

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_2:23 PM_

_Casey breathed in deep and exhaled, trying to regain her breath being knocked out of her from all the running and hiding she'd just done for the past two hours. Luckily she'd managed to finally ditch the NSA cronies following her and ran the rest of the way to her former work building._

_ "You look like you just ran a marathon. I thought you exercised regularly?" Ben's voice spoke from behind her and Casey spun around to find him grinning at her. _

_ "I was just chased for almost two hours! Those guys wouldn't give up!" She exclaimed with a frown._

_ "Well of course. They wouldn't be very good spies then, would they?" Her partner shrugged with a smirk._

_ Casey shook her head at him and gave him a perplexed look, "How come you're not so tired from the chase?"_

_ "I hopped on a bus before they could catch me."_

_ Casey's jaw dropped. _

Why hadn't I thought of that? _She scolded herself._

_ "Anyway, now that we've lost the NSA Neanderthals, what do you say we head on inside the building? They're bound to catch on to where we disappeared to and soon we'll be locked up by Carlson."_

_ "There's one problem with this plan of yours." Casey pointed out._

_ "And what's that?"_

_ "How are we supposed to walk around inside when the toxins from Potion X could still be floating around and infect us, or there could be more triggers that the NSA didn't think of searching for, or..."_

_ "Well..." Ben cut her off with a smirk. "You could always tear your shirt again." He waggled his brows suggestively._

_ "Ben, this is serious!" Casey snapped as she slapped his arm, forcing the smile on her lips to stay straight as she blushed. "We could end up like the rest of the Agency if we go in there unprotected."_

_ "I've got it all covered." Ben said as he took off the back pack, that Casey hadn't even noticed he'd been wearing, from around his shoulders and opened it up. Inside were small black oxygen masks that they could wear over their faces. _

_ "When did you have time to get those?" She stared at him in awe._

_ "I stopped at the store on my way here." He shrugged nonchalantly as he pulled out one of the masks and handed it to her._

_ "So while I've been dying from exertion for two hours, you've been shopping?" She glared at him. _

_ "I can't help it if I'm better at dodging NSA spies than you." He grinned as his green eyes twinkled in amusement. _

_If Casey wasn't so attracted to this man, she would have flipped him over her shoulder and kicked him in the gut. However, since she couldn't help swooning at his ways, Casey chose to scowl at him and turn away to approach the building._

_Ben chuckled from behind her and hurried to keep in step with his partner._

_Once they were at the top steps, Casey realized they had another predicament to solve. "The doors are boarded up." She sighed. "Unless you have a hack saw in that bag of yours, we're not getting in this way."_

"_I know." Ben smiled cheekily. "I have a better plan." _

_Casey watched her partner as he started walking around the right side of the building, wondering what he was up to._

"_Are you coming?" He asked when he noticed she wasn't following him._

"_I'm a little hesitant." She replied honestly._

"_Why?"_

"_Because I hate surprises and you're being too secretive for me to trust you."_

_Ben rolled his eyes, "Casey, I'm not trying trick you or anything. I know of another way into the building."_

_Casey looked at him warily, "How come I've never heard of this?"_

"_Because technically you're still a fresh rookie. I've been with the Agency for three years now, so I'm basically on the inside."_

_Casey scoffed as she folded her arms across her chest, "On the inside with whom?"_

"_Uh... you know... that guy..." Ben stammered with his words. He then let out a frustrated sigh. "Fine, I found it on my own last year when I was doing some extra training. Now get over here!"_

_Casey laughed at him as she quickly made her way towards him and they rounded the corner together._

"_I guess the Agency built in a secret passage to get into the building in case if there was ever an emergency and someone needed to get inside." Ben said as he felt around the wall. "Here it is." He smiled as a spot in the wall clicked open under his touch._

_Casey stared at the secret passage way with shock as Ben pulled out a flashlight from his bag, then put on his mask and shone the light under his face like he was telling a ghost story, "You may enter." He grinned through the plastic shield over his face, sounding a bit like darth vader as he spoke._

_Casey pulled on her own mask and stepped past her partner to enter the dark tunnel of the passage way as he closed the door behind them._

"_Where does it lead to?" She asked him as Ben walked in front of her with the light._

"_There are stairs at the end of the tunnel that lead up to the Agency floors."_

_Casey groaned, "Why can't there be an elevator?"_

"_Suck it up, Princess." Ben laughed._

_Casey's heart rate picked up speed when he called her that name; one of Derek's many nicknames on her behalf. It didn't sound right, however, coming from Ben's lips. _

"_You alright?" Ben asked as he looked back at her, noticing she'd stopped moving._

_Casey shook her head, "Yeah, I'm fine. You just reminded me of Derek there for a second. He calls me Princess."_

_She noticed Ben's shoulder's stiffen slightly before he nodded his head and kept walking, "We better keep moving. The stairwell is just up ahead."_

_Casey watched her partner walk in front of her and suddenly wanted to ask him what that kiss had been about. He was acting like nothing had happened; like kissing her on the street and then running off was no big deal, but it was big deal, to her at least. _

"_So what does Derek do for a living?" Ben suddenly asked before Casey could even open her mouth._

"_He plays hockey. He actually just got offered to play in the NHL." Casey smiled and then realized that Derek still hadn't told her which team he'd decided to join._

"_So he must be really attractive then, right?"_

_Casey furrowed her brow in confusion, "Why do you want to know?"_

"_Just curious." He shrugged._

"_You're not interested in dating my stepbrother, are you Benjamin?" Casey laughed._

"_Definitely not. Hockey players are not my type." He grinned back at her. _

"_So why are you so curious about Derek all of a sudden?" Casey wondered._

"_I'm not."_

"_Then why are you asking about him?"_

"_I'm just..." He hesitated with a sigh. "I just want to know more about your family..." _

"_Ok..." Casey knew he was lying but decided not to push the subject._

Could Ben seriously be jealous of Derek? But there's nothing to even be jealous about! He's my stepbrother!

"_Ready to climb some stairs?" Ben grinned down at her, the conversation about Derek lost. _

_Casey sighed, "As ready as I'll ever be."_

(=)

_3:07 PM_

_Casey let out a breath of exhaustion as they finally made it to their final destination on level ten-twenty-one, which was the tech floor. Casey wanted to collapse. She could feel her aching legs wanting to give out on her._

I am definitely not working out for the rest of the week. _She told herself as Ben pushed open a door in the wall and entered one of the labs that Mason Marz was in charge of._

_ "How do we even know that Chip is still working?" Casey questioned as she followed her partner through the exit and made sure to leave the door open a crack in case they needed a quick exit._

_ "Phil could have shut him down temporarily but Marz is the only one who knows how to completely disable Chips's system." Ben replied as he shone his flashlight into the room._

_ Casey let out a gasp when she noticed the room was covered in the red poison known as Potion X. It must have sprayed the R.E.D. scientists while they were working on their experiments and special spy gadgets that the Agency used for missions. _

_ "I can just picture their bodies spread out on the floors." Casey spoke quietly with a grimace. She then turned to her partner with a desperate look in her eyes. "There's got to be an antidote, right? Wasn't Mason working on one? Maybe he completed it?"_

_ Ben shook his head with a sorrowful sigh, "He wasn't nearly finished yet. The only ones who would have an antidote would be the monsters who created the infection in the first place."_

_ "Like Phil." Casey frowned, resisting the urge to scream at the thought of his betrayal._

_ "We better keep moving." Ben gave her a look of understanding. "Mason's office is down the next hall. He has a direct link to Chip in there."_

_ Casey nodded as Ben led the way through the lab and into the hallway._

_ "What exactly do you plan to get out of Chip anyway?" Casey wondered when Ben pulled open the door to Mason Marz's office and flicked on the light switch. _

_ "I don't know... anything that could give us a lead... He's got a bunch of old security footage stashed away in his system. I bet we could dig up something on Phil that might help. It's at least worth a shot, right?" He shrugged and approached the desk of computer screens and monitors. There were even screens hanging on the wall above them and Casey marvelled at the sight. _

_ "Did Mason use all of these computers for Chip?" She questioned._

_ "Yep. God gifted that man with a magnificent mind. We're lucky to have him a part of the Agency." Ben smiled._

_ "Let's hope we can restore that mind if we manage to get the antidote from Phil." Casey mumbled._

_ Ben pressed a small red button under the main screen on the desk and suddenly the whole room lit up with a bright white light emitting from the twenty or so screens surrounding them._

_ "How do you know how to work it?" Casey wondered as she watched Ben enter a code into the system with ease._

_ "I used to work in the lab with Mason until I realized that my real calling was to be an agent in the field. They liked my brain but I needed action. Marz introduced me to Chip when he first created him three years ago and due to my photographic memory, I remember how he worked it. Of course it's a bit more updated from what I recall but I'll figure it out." _

_ "Well don't take too long. Carlson is probably fuming right now and has put out the sentence for our heads to be served on a platter."_

_ "Someone's a bit morbid." Ben smirked at her as he continued to type away at the keyboard below his fingers._

_ Casey bit her lip, "What if Chip can't give us what we need? Then we'll end up in a cell for nothing."_

_ "Who says we're going to end up in a cell?"_

_ "We will if this takes any longer."_

_ "I've almost got it figured out. I don't even know how Phil managed to hack into the system but he did nonetheless and he did a pretty good job of it too."_

_ "But you can restore it, right?" _

_ "Yes, Casey. I'd like it if you had a bit more faith in me." Ben frowned at her._

_ Casey sighed, "Sorry."_

_ Just then a red beam lit up the room that they were in and Casey let out a shriek as it swept over her and her partner, then disappeared._

_ "Good afternoon, Agent McDonald and Agent Blake." Chip's monotone voice startled the both of them._

_ "Yes!" Ben threw his fist in the air with a giant grin and turned to wink at Casey. "Told you I could do it!" _

_ Casey ignored him and approached the computer screen, "Chip, do you know what happened yesterday morning to the Agency?" She asked the security system._

_ "Affirmative. I managed to pick up a video feed on my cameras before my system was temporarily shut down." The computer replied._

_ The screens suddenly filled with images from the day before as their colleagues and friends sat around in their offices, labs, etc doing their jobs. All of a sudden an alarm went off and before anyone could do anything, red gas was shot out at them and people began screaming and falling to the ground unconscious as the disease began to take over._

_ Casey turned away from the screen, trying to hold back the tears threatening to fall at the sight. _

_ "Turn it off, Chip." Ben ordered the computer and Casey noticed his jaw was tense as he dug his nails into his palm while clenching his fists at his side. Casey grabbed the hand closest too her and pried it open while placing her hand inside of his. Ben seemed to relax a bit more as he stared at the now blank screens._

_ "Chip, can you show us the last video footage you have of Agent Greenwood?" Ben spoke, his voice was a bit hoarse as he bit back his emotions. _

_ "Affirmative. Agent Phillip Greenwood, two nights ago." Chip said as the screens lit up with the video of Phil walking through the hallways with giant metal crates in his arms. Two men wearing ski masks appeared from beside him also caring the crates. They brought them to each room of the building and opened them up to reveal the tiny vials of Potion X that would soon be hidden all over the R.E.D. building._

_ Casey stared at the screens in horror, watching as her Handler and Mentor for the past two and a half years was preparing to poison the entire Agency. She tightened her hold on Ben's hand in anger, wishing she could jump through that screen and give him a piece of her mind, as well as a swift punch to the face._

_ "What time is this?" Ben asked Chip._

_ "It is three twenty four in the morning, Agent Blake."_

_ "How did he manage to do all of this in one night?"_

_ "He obviously had the help." Casey gestured to the two other men. One of them had a stronger build and was taller than the other. _

_ "Agent Greenwood did not complete it all in one night. He was in several nights." Chip said as he showed them at least eight more video feeds of Phil doing the exact same thing with the two other men._

_ Casey's eyes widened in disgust, "You mean he's been in and out of here, planting those devices in our building for the past two weeks?"_

_ "Affirmative, Agent McDonald."_

_ "Then why didn't you stop him?" She raised her voice at the computer with rage._

_ Ben squeezed her hand as he looked at her, "Chip couldn't do anything, Casey. According to him, Phil wasn't doing anything wrong because he was a trusted employee of the Agency."_

_ Casey sighed as a tear escaped her eye and she looked away, "I know. I'm sorry. I just... this is all so unbelievable. I can't get over the fact that he's been doing this for who knows how long and right under our very noses."_

_ "It's not your fault, Casey." Ben gave her a stern look. "None of us could've known."_

_ Casey nodded her head weakly as her gaze fell back on the images on the screens and her eyes caught something that made her gasp._

_ "Chip, can you turn up the sound on screen eleven?" Casey asked._

_ "Affirmative, Agent McDonald." Chip replied as the sound came on and Phil's voice could be matched to the image that they watched on the screen. _

_ "What is it?" Ben asked her but Casey quickly hushed him as she tried to listen._

_ "Where am I supposed to pick up the crates now that the Agency discovered where we'd hid them before?" Phil's voice spoke as he stood outside his office talking on his cell phone. He was wearing the same baseball hat and outfit Casey remembered from the night she'd stayed late to finish her case review._

_ Phil nodded as the voice on the other end spoke to him. He then frowned as he raised his voice in frustration, "I won't let that happen again! They didn't even see my face, so you have nothing to worry about. Agent McDonald has no idea that I was the one in the warehouse that day."_

_ Casey's eyes widened as she stared at the screen with pure hatred in her eyes, "It was Phil! He was the one who pinned me down on our first assignment!"_

_ Ben cursed under his breath, sharing Casey's rage as they continued to listen to his conversation._

"_I know what I'm supposed to do but I'm still really not comfortable with this." His expression turned wary as he continued to speak. He paused to listen to the voice on the other end and then let out a sigh. "I know. I get it, but most of these people are my friends... you have to understand that..." He paused again and his expression darkened._

"_Why don't you find someone else to do the final job?" Phil growled fiercely in the phone. "The rest of you hide away in the mountains while I'm forced to take down my own agency. It doesn't seem fair." _

_He turned away from the screen but his voice could still be heard clearly as he spoke in a hushed tone. "I don't want to do this. I'm done." He listened to the voice on the other line just as another figure appeared in the hall behind him._

"_Is that you?" Ben asked with a surprised expression as he glanced at Casey._

"_Yeah, I stayed late finishing up on some paper work from our visit with the NSA. I didn't realize it was Phil when I heard someone talking." She explained._

_They watched as Phil continued to speak in a hushed tone, oblivious to Casey standing behind him._

"_I don't care what you say, I can't do this anymore." Phil's voice spoke boldly before Casey spoke up and startled him. _

"_Obviously he didn't fall through on that plan." Ben snorted with a scowl. "That coward._

"_Did you hear what he said before? Did he say something about the rest of them hiding out in the mountains?" Casey asked with interest, not bothering to watch the rest of her conversation with Phillip. _

_Ben nodded, "Yeah, I think I heard that too. Chip, can you rewind the feed a bit?" Ben requested._

"_Affirmative." Chip replied and immediately rewound the video to the part where Phil spoke about the mountains._

"_Do you think they could still be hiding there?" Ben looked at her with excited eyes._

"_Maybe... But we don't even know_ where_ in the mountains... It could be anywhere."_

"_Then we'll watch more footage. There's got to be another video of him speaking about their hiding place."_

_ "I've got a better idea." A voice spoke up from behind them and both agents turned to see Richmond Carlson and four other NSA agents standing in the doorway, wearing more expensive looking oxygen masks on their heads. "You two are under arrest for disobeying my orders." He grinned at them as the four agents stepped towards Casey and Ben with handcuffs._

_ Casey glanced at Ben and knew he already had another plan up his sleeve as he grinned at the Agents approaching them._

_ This was going to be interesting. _

(=)

Present Time

NicoTech Division

Munich, Bavaria

10:47 AM

Derek's heart was hammering in his chest as he listened to Casey cry out in pain and then a man with a heavy French accent said: "You're mine now."

He yelled desperately into the earpiece for Casey to respond but she wasn't answering and he was beginning to fear the worst.

Ben had left a few minutes ago when they realized that Haldega was in the room with his fellow agents. He'd ordered Derek to stay in the van no matter what happened.

_But Casey's life is in danger! _He thought in frustration. Ben seriously didn't expect him to just sit back and let his stepsister be taken by that beast? He had to go help her!

Derek threw open the sliding door of the van and realized that he had no idea where to go. The building was massive and heavily guarded by security. He didn't even know how Ben had managed to make it inside, or if he had at all.

"Derek!" A familiar voice suddenly called out and he turned to see Karma running towards him with a distraught look on her face and a middle aged man at her side.

"Where's Casey?" Derek immediately asked as he glanced behind the young agent with searching eyes.

Karma avoided his gaze as she instructed the man to get inside the van.

"Karma?" Derek raised his voice as he gripped her arm in his hand, turning her to face him with a pleading look in his deep brown eyes.

"She... She was still fighting them off when I left." Her blue eyes misted over with tears as she looked up at him. She quickly wiped them away and tried to give Derek a reassuring smile, "I'm sure she's on her way down now though."

Derek shook his head with a grim expression, "Something happened. Haldega did something to her." He tried to shove past her but Karma pressed a hand to his chest to stop him.

"You can't go in there, Derek!"

"I can't just leave her!" He snapped at her with a vicious glare.

"Ben will find her."

"And what if he doesn't? What if he's too late?"

Karma faltered for a moment before she looked him directly in the eyes, "I know you care about her, Derek, but going in there will only get you killed. The two men from Boston that Casey knocked out in your locker room are with Haldega and if they see you, they won't hesitate to pull the trigger."

"Just like they won't hesitate with Casey!"

"No," Karma shook her head. "They will want Casey alive. She's a secret agent with Government information that they can use. If they have her, they won't kill her."

"So you're saying that they're going to torture her?" His eyes widened in horror.

She nodded slowly with melancholic eyes, "But... there's still hope that Ben got them first..."

"I can't take that risk. I'm going to find her." He concluded as he pushed past her and began running towards the building with determination in his eyes.

"Derek!" Karma yelled after him. "Derek!"

Derek ignored his name being called as images of Casey being held against her will flashed through his mind. He winced at the thought.

_I won't let them hurt you, Casey. I'm coming for you._

* * *

><p><strong>Things are getting so Intense! What happened to Casey? !<strong>

**Please leave a review! I LOVE them and you! **

**Also, if there's anyone who is a LOST fan (I hope at least one of you are so that writing this won't be pointless), I was almost tempted to have Derek yell at Karma: "Don't tell me what I can't do!" when Karma told him he couldn't go after Casey. Lol! Sigh. LOST Withdrawals are not fun. :( **


	23. Chapter 23

**Oh wow... It is 3:14 AM and I stayed up to finish this chapter just for you guys. That is how much I love you and appreciate you! **

**I am so sorry about the long wait but I got stuck with the flu and was literally in my bed for a week. I was constantly nauseous and had no way of writing or updating. It was horrible! Luckily, I am feeling much better now and I even made this chapter extra long just because I feel bad that I left you hanging on such a crazy cliff hanger for two weeks. **

**Thanks for all the Reviews and for reading this story! Your support is Amazing! I LOVE it!**

**Warning: There is a lot of violence in this chapter and talk of blood, etc... It's not too bad, unless you have a really weak stomach; if that's the case, then I suggest you don't read this because I don't want to be the cause of you getting sick. Also, this chapter is really Emotional...**

**I don't want to spoil anything else, so I'll just let you read. **

**Enjoy! :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 23<strong>

NicoTech Division

Munich, Bavaria

11:12 AM

Derek had managed to make it past the security guards, slipping one of their key cards into his possession as one ran right past him. The building was in a state of panic when they realized that their founder, Nicolas Walls, was missing. The alarms chimed above as Derek surveyed his surroundings before swiping the key card into the machine on the wall to the door that read: _Level fifteen_. The door opened easily and he quickly snuck through it, making sure to close it behind him.

The moment Derek entered the hallway on one of the forbidden levels, he regretted it. Security was everywhere.

He cursed under his breath when two of the guards noticed him and began their approach with guns gripped tightly in their hands.

"What is your name and how do you have access to this floor?" A tall, burly guard demanded to know as he glared down at Derek.

"I... uh... I work on this floor in the lab." Derek lied, making sure to keep eye contact.

"The building is being evacuated, so why are you up here?" They gave him suspicious looks, obviously not buying his story.

"I forgot something and needed to retrieve it."

There was a sudden commotion from down the hallway and the guards turned to see what was going on. The body of one of their fellow guards fell halfway out of one of the rooms unconscious and before they could make a move, two darts flew into their necks and they went down instantly.

Derek stared with wide eyes as Ben emerged from the room with the fallen guard and frowned his way.

"Derek, what are you doing up here?" The secret agent asked as he made his way towards him, tranquilizer gun extended. "Didn't I tell you stay in the van?"

"Where's Casey?" Derek raised his voice, glancing behind Benjamin with frantic eyes.

Ben's frown deepened, "We need to leave now. More guards will be flooding this hall any second." He said as he grabbed Derek by the arm and pulled him towards the door Derek had come through.

"Not until you tell me where Casey is!" Derek yelled as he pulled away from Ben's grip.

"You're going to get us arrested. Let's go!" He said as he swiped a key card into the reader and the door clicked open.

"I'm not going anywhere until we find Casey!" Derek scowled. He turned away from him and began making his way back down the hall.

"She's not up here!"

"How do you know?"

Ben glared at him, "Because I already checked. All I found was her earpiece lying on the floor surrounded by blood." He said as he held up the bloodied device with a grimace.

"Casey's blood?" Derek's face paled and his stomach clenched at the thought.

"I don't know." Ben sighed and Derek could tell that he felt the same way as pain flashed through his eyes. His expression quickly hardened again as he glanced down the hallway. "We need to get out of here, Derek. Wherever Casey is, it's not here."

"We have to find her, Ben." Derek said just as voices could be heard from behind them.

"We will. Now hurry before they catch us!" He whispered harshly as he ushered Derek through the door, following close behind.

The two men hurried down the stairs, thankful that no one was on their tail.

"Honey Pot, can you hear me?" Karma's voice in Derek's ear startled him for a moment before he realized he still had the communication device embedded in it.

"Rainforest, where are you?" Ben replied, using her code name as he continued to race down the steps with Derek at his side.

"I'm in the van with Walls. I had to drive around the block because security was beginning to check vehicles. Where are you? Did you find Derek?"

"He's with me. We're descending the stairs as we speak. We'll meet you at the hotel. Keep Walls safe and don't let him out of your sight."

"Where are you going? Is Bluebird with you?"

"Just do as I say. I'll contact you within the hour."

"Be careful." The worry in her voice was evident and Derek wondered why Ben didn't tell her about Casey.

They landed on the last level and Ben grunted as he peeked through the door that led outside.

"There are three guards outside. You stay here while I take them out." He said to Derek as he cocked his gun.

"I can help." Derek offered.

"You don't have a gun." He shook his head.

"You're not going to be able to take out three guards with one arm."

"You don't know what I'm capable of, Derek." Ben dismissed him as he opened the door. "Stay here until I tell you its safe." He ordered and stepped into the alley, shooting one of the guards in the shoulder. The other two noticed their partner go down and quickly turned in his direction.

Ben dodged a bullet and aimed at the other guard. He cursed when the man managed to side step his dart and shoot at him again. The bullet clanged against the door and Derek flinched as he watched Ben kick the gun out of the man's hand and punch him in the jaw.

As Ben fought with one guard, Derek noticed the other one turn towards them; he cocked his gun at the unsuspecting agent and was about to pull the trigger when Derek burst through the door and tackled him to the ground. The gun shot into the air just as Ben grabbed his own gun and shot a dart into his assailant's neck.

"Derek!" He yelled and watched as the young man wrestled with the last conscious guard on the ground. He raised his gun and pulled the trigger; the dart just missed Derek's head and landed in the guard's chest, knocking him out instantly.

"You almost hit me!" Derek exclaimed as he got up from on top of the man and stared at Ben with wide eyes.

"Again, you didn't stay put like I told you to." Ben glowered at him.

"I just saved your butt! He almost shot you!"

"It doesn't matter. I gave you an order and I expect you to listen next time!"

Derek glared at him as he got up in his face, "Since when are you in charge of me?"

"Look, Derek, you're the one that wanted to come along on this mission even though Casey warned you it would be dangerous, so as long as you're with me, you will do as I say. I am trained to handle these kinds of situations; you're not."

"So you were trained to just let your partner get kidnapped too?" He raised his voice with a scowl.

"You're blaming me for this?" Ben stared at him in exasperation.

"You should have gone in with her! You should have been with them!"

"Casey insisted on Karma going with her. We didn't think Haldega would be in there already!"

"Well he was and now Casey is gone!" Derek screamed with a red face.

Ben clenched his fists at his sides as he took a step back from Derek to let him cool off a bit. He chose his next words carefully and spoke in as calm a voice as he could.

"I know you care about her, Derek, but you're not the only one that does."

"Yeah, I know how much you _care_ about my stepsister, Benjamin." He looked away with disgust.

"And I know how much you _care_ about her too, Derek." Ben narrowed his eyes at him.

Derek shook his head, "It doesn't matter what I think. I'm just her stepbrother."

"And I'm just her partner."

Both men glared at each other for what seemed like hours until Ben finally broke his gaze and looked down the alley they were in.

"We better get out of here. Those gun shots weren't silent." Ben said as he started walking towards the exit.

"Where exactly _are_ we going?" Derek asked from behind him.

"I know where they've taken Casey but we need to hurry."

"What? Where?" Derek asked with wide eyes as he grabbed Ben by the shoulder, forcing him to stop and look at him.

"I'll explain on the way but we need to go now before they leave the country."

(=)

Abandoned Airport

Outside of Munich, Bavaria

12:22 PM

Casey slowly opened her eyes to a blurred vision. She blinked a couple of times before her sight became clearer and realized she had no idea where she was. The room was dark. She tried to move but pain shot through her arm and she let out a cry of protest.

"Crap!" She whispered aloud as the memory of Haldega shooting her and knocking her out flashed through her mind.

She let out a groan when she tried to move her arms once again but came to the realization that her hands and ankles were tied to a chair.

Her head was pounding and she could feel dry blood coating her forehead from where Haldega had hit her with the gun. It also felt like something was covering her shoulder from where she'd been shot.

_They must have bandaged it up before I lost too much blood. _She thought with a frown. _Which means they don't want me dead... yet. _

She tried to pull at the ropes tethering her to the chair but they were too tight and the more she struggled the more it hurt her arm. She finally had to give up as she let out a cry of agony from the bullet wound and let her head fall to her chest in defeat.

_God, please let them find me before its too late. _She silently prayed as drowsiness took over her once again and she fell asleep.

(=)

Somewhere outside of Munich, Bavaria

12:43 PM

"Will you tell me where we're going already?" Derek complained with a frown as he sat in the back seat of the cab he and Benjamin had finally been able to hail. They'd been driving through the city for almost an hour now and Derek was becoming impatient with Ben's lack of response.

Ben sat in the front seat and glanced at the German cabbie who kept his gaze on the road ahead before he turned to look at Derek, "I can't exactly explain right now." He spoke through gritted teeth, gesturing with his eyes to the man driving.

Derek sighed, "I don't care what the cab driver thinks. He probably doesn't even speak much English." He rolled his eyes before glaring at the secret agent in front of him. "I need to know what you're planning, Ben. Is Casey in trouble? Are we going to be able to reach her in time? How exactly do you expect the _two _of us to get her back? We don't even know how many men Haldega has with him. And, seriously, how the heck do you even know where we're going?" He spoke quickly as each question spilled from his mouth.

Ben shook his head as he let out a sigh, "Just calm down, Derek. Like I said, I'll explain everything later."

"I'm tired of being out of the loop! She's my stepsister, damnit!" Derek shouted with frustration.

The cab driver was startled by Derek's sudden mood change as the car swerved off the road and almost hit a road sign before Ben managed to grab the wheel and jerk it back on to the pavement.

The cab driver pressed on the brake, forcing the car to jerk forward before coming to a complete stop in the middle of the road, which was luckily free of other vehicles. He started cursing in German as he scowled at Derek through the rear-view mirror and yelled at Ben who was trying to reassure him. The man obviously didn't know much English as Ben spoke to him in his language.

Derek had no idea what the two men were saying as they kept gesturing towards him while arguing. The cabbie kept shaking his head and saying "nein", which Derek guessed to mean "no".

Finally Ben seemed to calm the man down enough for him to direct one last vicious glare at Derek before starting the vehicle and continuing down the vacant road.

"What did you say to him?" Derek asked Ben.

"I told him I'd pay him extra if he took us to our destination." Ben glowered at him.

"Do you even have enough cash on you?"

"I always make sure to have money in my pocket."

The cab driver said something to Ben and Ben replied with a nod, "Ja, er wird." He then turned to look at Derek again. "He wants you to keep your mouth shut for the rest of the trip."

Derek scoffed, "He does not."

"Er sprach, er sprach!" The cab driver shouted with wide eyes.

Ben said something to him and then looked at Derek with a serious expression, "Keep quiet or we won't get to Casey in time."

Derek went to open his mouth again but the cab driver's narrowed eyes through the rear-view mirror made him re-think his retort as he clamped his mouth shut and turned his gaze out the window with a frown.

_We're coming, Casey. I'll save you._

(=)

Abandoned Airport

Outside of Munich, Bavaria

1:17 PM

"Wake up!" A deep voice commanded as Casey was woken up by a sharp sting on her left cheek.

The young agent's eyes opened and she immediately glared at the man before her as he slapped her face once more to make sure she was fully awake.

"You sure know how to wake a girl up." She spat with sarcasm.

"Would you rather I hit your wound?" The man scowled, gesturing towards her injured arm.

Casey turned to examine her shoulder and noticed that they'd torn open her shirt and placed a large bandage around the bullet hole. An outline of blood filled the exterior and she knew she was still bleeding, which would explain the drowsiness she was feeling even now.

She tried to ignore the pain from her shoulder as she surveyed the small room they were holding her in. It seemed to be a part of some kind of warehouse. The floors were cement and the white walls were cracked and ancient looking; a wooden door stood at the far end of the room while Casey sat tied to a metal chair in the middle of the enclosure.

"Where are we?" She growled at him, recognizing him as the taller man from the locker room in Boston and the office in NicoTech. He had a blonde buzz cut on his head, piercing blue-grey eyes, a crooked nose that had most likely been broken a few times over the years, and a grotesque scar along the right side of his cheek.

"It doesn't matter. We'll be leaving here in a few minutes anyway." Crooked nose replied.

"Then where are you taking me?"

He grinned maliciously at her, "Somewhere your friends won't be able to find you."

"Then you obviously underestimate my friends." She sneered up at him.

He glowered down at her and raised his hand to hit her once again but before he could make contact with her cheek, Haldega entered the room.

"Kraemin, quit fooling around with her and give her the sedative! The plane will be ready any minute!" His boss growled angrily.

Kraemin frowned as he lowered his hand and pulled out a syringe from his back pocket, "You never let me have any fun." He complained as he lowered the needle towards Casey's arm.

Casey's eyes widened as she looked back at Haldega, "Just let me go, Haldega! You're only making things worse for yourself by keeping a federal agent captive!"

"Au contraire, Miss. McDonald," he clicked his tongue with a grin. "By keeping you my captive, I have a better chance of you not interfering with my plans anymore."

"And what exactly are your plans?" She snarled at him bitterly, trying to stay strong even though she was feeling extremely weak.

Haldega laughed as his grey eyes bore into her soul, "I plan to take over the world of course; with the help of an old but _improved_ friend." He smirked evilly and turned back towards the exit. "Hurry up with her, Kraemin, and no more funny business." Haldega ordered over his shoulder before disappearing through the door he'd come through.

"Now be a good little agent and hold still." Kraemin grinned down at her as he grabbed her right arm with a firm grip and stabbed the needle through her skin before Casey could open her mouth.

"You won't get away with this!" Casey raised her voice as he stepped back.

She could already feel the affects of the drug entering her system as her eyes became heavy and she felt like she was floating on air.

"W-what did you... g-give me?" She stuttered out as the room began to spin around her and she began to see double of the hideous man.

"Don't worry. It's just a mild dose of tranquilizer to keep you asleep on the plane ride." Both faces sneered at her as he began to walk away.

"W... wait..." Casey tried to call out but her voice was reduced to a whisper as her eyes began to close. "D... Derek..." She breathed out before falling into a deep, dreamless slumber.

(=)

Abandoned Airport

Outside of Munich, Bavaria

1:31 PM

"What is this place?" Derek asked as he and Ben crouched behind a metal fence that was surrounded by over grown weeds and grass. Beyond the fence was a massive expanse of pavement and three large, blue buildings that looked like warehouses of some sort.

The German cabbie had dropped them off a few minutes ago and sped off with Ben's money before either man could thank him. Ben hoped he'd keep his mouth shut about where he'd taken them. He even paid him triple to keep the man silent.

"It used to be an airport in the seventies." Ben replied as he peeked over the brush cautiously.

"This is where they've taken Casey?" Derek's eyes widened.

Ben nodded, ducking back down and pulling out a small black, rectangular device, "According to this tracker, she's in the third building on the left." He said, pointing to a blue figure on the screen.

"You have a tracker on Casey?"

"All R.E.D. agents are required to be injected with one in case something like this happens."

"Injected?"

"Yep, and it hurts like you wouldn't believe."

Derek shivered at the thought.

Suddenly the blue figure on the screen began to move as the tracker let out a soft beeping noise.

"She's on the move. We need to go now." Ben said as he stood up and tucked the device back in his pocket.

"Wait," Derek said as he grabbed Ben by the arm. "Are you at least going to fill me in on the plan?"

"Nope." Ben shook his head.

"Why not?"

"Because I don't have one."

"So we're just busting in there without thinking logically?" He raised a wary brow.

"I know it sounds crazy, Derek, but we don't have much time. If we want to get Casey out of there, then we need to move fast. We don't have time to think through a strategy."

"Then let's stop yapping and get moving." Derek said as he began sprinting towards an opening in the fence.

"Hey, I'm the one with the gun here!" Ben snapped as he shoved Derek away from the entrance before he could pull himself through. "You need to stay behind me at all times. Got it?" He asked, once they were both on the other side.

Derek frowned and nodded solemnly.

"Seriously though, what is one little tranquilizer gun going to do if there are ten men with actual guns inside that building?" Derek questioned as they crept through the tall grass towards the last building on the left.

"Pray that we don't have to find out." Ben replied with a smirk.

"I don't understand why you guys don't just use real guns." Derek grumbled.

Ben let out a chuckle as they approached the building and pressed their backs up against it, "The Agency used to train with real fire arms until the government realized that tranquillizers were more effective in capturing the criminals without actually killing them."

"Is the government a bunch of women?" Derek scoffed as both men eased their way towards the edge of the wall.

"You know Casey would have slapped you for that comment and called you sexist, right?" Ben grinned with amusement.

"It wouldn't be the first time." Derek returned the grin.

A loud noise suddenly filled the sky overhead and they both looked up to see a black helicopter flying over them.

"It's landing in front of the building! We need to hurry!" Ben shouted over the noise of the copter and began running around the corner with Derek right behind.

They stopped when they heard voices speaking over the thundering of the chopper blades.

"Put her inside and get the rest of our gear!" A man with a heavy French accent shouted.

Ben and Derek peered around the corner just in time to see a large man with a buzz cut on his head carrying an unconscious and bound Casey towards the copter.

"Casey!" Derek gasped and jolted forward.

"Wait!" Ben whispered harshly as he grabbed Derek's arm, pulling him back behind the wall. "We can't just run out there screaming. Let me make sure it's only the two of them."

Derek nodded as his eyes remained wide and horrified at the situation they were in.

_This is really happening. Casey's secret life is really real and I'm about to save her from a real criminal... _He thought to himself, still feeling like this was all a horrible dream.

"Haldega's inside with one more man. The other guy seems to have gotten the crap beaten out of him, so I don't think he'll be much of a problem." Ben said once he'd returned.

To be honest, Derek hadn't even noticed him leave.

"And what about that giant who has Casey?" Derek asked.

"Don't worry about him. He's headed back to the building now. I'll take care of Haldega and his men while you go get Casey."

Derek's jaw dropped as he shook his head, "I can't let you fight them alone. We've already proved that you can't take on three guys at once. You need me."

"Forget about me, Derek. Casey is the one that needs you right now. Just do as I say and get her back!"

Derek let out a groan as he slowly nodded his head, "Fine! But what about the pilot? What if he attacks me?"

Ben pulled out a large knife from behind his back and handed it to the frightened hockey player, "This is all I can give you. Good luck." He said before slapping Derek on the back and making his way towards the door of the building once he knew the other man was inside.

Derek hesitated for a moment as he stared at the knife in his hand.

_I am seriously about to do this right now... I am going to rescue Casey... and all I have to defend myself with is a knife... God, please help me?_

He sucked in a deep breath and peeked around the corner before breaking into a sprint and heading towards the helicopter before the pilot could notice him.

Derek crept around the back of the large machine where the door was still open. He glanced up at the front of the cockpit where the pilot sat staring out the window, clueless to what was going on around him. He silently pulled himself up into the back where Casey's sleeping form was resting on one of the seats.

A deep frown formed on his face when he noticed the condition she was in. There was a gash on her forehead covered in dry blood; her left cheek was forming a bruise, and he wanted to hit something when he saw the bloodied bandage and ripped shirt on her left shoulder.

_Oh, Casey... my sweet Casey... What have they done to you? _

He held back the tears of rage that wanted to spill out as he began to pick her limp body up into his arms.

A gun shot suddenly went off in the building where Ben was fighting Haldega and his men and the pilot glanced in the direction of the noise before turning around and looking at Derek with surprised eyes.

"Hey!" He shouted and went to reach for his gun at his hip.

Derek cursed as he dropped Casey and grabbed the knife from his back pocket. Without thinking, he hurled it at the man's arm and the pilot let out a cry of pain as the blade embedded itself into his flesh.

Another shot rang through the air and Derek glanced out the window to see Haldega running towards the copter with the tall man in tow. They seemed fine other than the blood dripping from the giant's nose and the furious expressions on their faces.

_Where's Ben? _

Derek's eyes widened in terror as he looked at the pilot who was trying to pull the knife from his arm and back at Casey who still lay unconscious; he knew there was no way he could get Casey out before they caught him.

"Start it up!" Haldega's voice screamed to the pilot.

"He stabbed my arm!" The pilot cursed. He'd managed to pry the knife free and hastily ripped his shirt sleeve to tie around the blood gushing from the wound.

While the pilot was still preoccupied with his arm, Derek realized that the other two men had no idea he was still in here. He could still make it out before they got their hands on him.

_But Casey! _He thought as he stared at her with tears in his eyes. _I can't just leave her!_

The shouts were getting closer and Derek knew there was no way he could take on three men. He had to make a choice right now.

He bent down towards Casey as tears rolled down his cheeks. He touched her face as pain ripped through his stomach.

"I'll be back for you." He whispered to her before placing a kiss upon her head. "I love you, Casey."

"You're dead!" A voice shouted from behind him and Derek turned back to see the pilot aiming a gun at him.

He took one last look at Casey with remorse in his eyes as he jumped out of the copter before the pilot could shoot. He rolled underneath the belly of the machine just as Haldega and the tall man approached the door.

"What are you doing, you imbecile! Start flying!" Haldega screamed at the pilot as he and the giant pulled themselves into the chopper.

"There was a man in here! He stabbed my arm!" The pilot shouted.

"Forget about him! Just go now before more of them show up!"

Derek wanted cry out, he wanted jump back inside and grab Casey into his arms while killing them all with his bare hands, but he knew it was impossible.

He rolled out from underneath the helicopter just as it began to take off and his heart clenched at the realization of what he'd just done. He'd left Casey behind.

"NO!" He cried out as the black machine began to slowly fade into the sky. "CASEY!"

* * *

><p><strong>Are you crying? Don't try to hide it... Even I teared up while writing this, which could mainly be because it's so late and I'm tired... but it was also really SAD. I warned you it was emotional!<strong>

**Now, before you start Booing me and sending me hate mail because I left you off on another Crazy, Intense cliff hanger, I want to let you know that I do have a plan! It's not all over for Casey yet! Have faith and please keep reading! **

**Also, please don't hate Derek for leaving her. He had no choice and he knew they wouldn't kill her yet, so it was either get them both killed while trying to escape with her unconscious body, or keep them both alive and save himself for the time being... **

**One more thing... PLEASE REVIEW! The more reviews I get, the faster I will be at finishing the next chapter and updating the story. You guys Rock! **

**Now, I am off to bed. So Tired! Zzzz**


	24. Chapter 24

**It took me all day just to finish this chapter because I couldn't seem to get it to work right but I finally finished it. I don't know if it's that great... but I'll let you be the judge of that. **

**Thanks so much for all the Awesome reviews!**

**Another Warning: There is some disturbing violence in this chapter as well. **

**Disclaimer: I realized I haven't done any of these for this story... I wanted to disclaim the fact that I know nothing about trackers, injections, electric shocks, etc... This is all made up in my mind.**

**Ok. Now you can read on and enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 24<strong>

Helicopter

Somewhere over Germany

2:23 PM

"How did they find us?" Haldega growled as he sat in the front seat of the cockpit next to the injured pilot.

"I don't know, Sir, but their mission failed. We still have the girl." Kraemin grinned from where he sat on one of the back seats next to the unconscious R.E.D. agent.

"I can't fly like this much longer." The pilot spoke as he kept his gaze out the window while rain began to pour down on the copter. "That son of a..." he hissed in pain. "He stabbed my arm. If I don't get it stitched up, within the hour, you're not going to have a ride out of this country."

Haldega cursed, "We can't exactly land right now with the R.E.D. on our trail!"

"Do you know how to fly a helicopter then?" The pilot glared at him. "It's your fault this even happened. You told me it would be quick and easy."

"We'll land when I say so!" Haldega raised his voice as he scowled at the man across from him.

The pilot didn't reply as he gritted his teeth and returned his gaze out the window.

"They must have some kind of tracker on her." Kraemin spoke from the back as he glowered at Casey's body. "I've heard of some agencies injecting their precious spies, so that they could be found if ever lost or kidnapped."

"Where do you think the tracker could be injected?" Haldega asked as he stared at Casey in alarm.

"It's hard to say. I'd have to scan her."

"Well we need to get that thing out of her before they find us again. I will not let R.E.D. ruin my plans!"

"What about the NicoTech device? We can't do anything without it."

"That's what she is here for." He sneered at Casey's sleeping form. "Once we get back to the base, I will offer R.E.D. a trade; their precious agent for Nicolas Walls."

Kraemin shook his head, "They won't go for it, Sir. They'd rather sacrifice one agent, than risk endangering the world."

"That's why we'll make the proposition to someone who won't be able to handle losing her."

"Who?"

"Her partners."

(=)

Abandoned Airport

Outside of Munich, Bavaria

2:18 PM

Derek wept openly into his fists as his knees gave away from beneath him and he fell to the hard pavement below, not caring if this was the first time he'd cried in years. Casey was gone. He'd left her in the hands of Greggor Haldega, the man trying to take over the world.

Rain began to pour down from the sky as Derek hung his head back and let out a heart wrenching scream to the grey clouds above. He thought about the last words he'd whispered to her and was shocked by what he'd said.

"I told her I love her..." He whispered under his breath with wide eyes. "and I didn't mean it in a brotherly way..." A part of him was thankful that she'd been unconscious and didn't actually hear his confession, a confession that he was having a hard time grasping himself.

He let out a sorrowful groan as precipitation continued to drench his weary form.

"I love Casey." He spoke aloud, tasting the words on his mouth. "I love Casey... and I couldn't have realized it at a better time?"

A thought suddenly struck him as he glanced back at the blue building behind him where moments ago, he'd heard gun shots being fired.

_Ben! _

Derek shook all thoughts of Casey out of his head for the time being and gathered what little strength he had left to stand up and hurry towards the building his stepsister's partner hadn't reappeared from.

_God, please let him be alive. _

He sucked in a breath as he slowly pulled open the door and entered the old airport structure, thankful for the dry roof now over his head as it continued to pour outside.

"Ben?" He called out, his voice hoarse from all the screaming he'd just done. "Benjamin?"

Derek cringed when he noticed a body lying a few feet away. He stepped closer and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it wasn't Ben. He recognized the unconscious man from the locker room in Boston. His face was all bloody and cut up. He looked like he'd been hit in the face with something really hard. A tranquillizer dart was sticking out from his shoulder and Derek knew he must have been Ben's first target.

"Ben, are you in here?" Derek called out again as he walked away from the sleeping thug.

He jumped slightly when he heard a groan come from a door at the end of the warehouse. He immediately took off running towards it and entered the small room to see Ben lying against the wall with a beat up face and blood gushing from his lower right abdomen.

Derek cursed at the sight and approached the man with concern.

"Ben, are you awake?" He asked as he knelt down and pressed his hands against the bullet wound, trying to stop the flow of red liquid.

Ben looked at him through his one eye that wasn't swollen and then glanced around the room, "C... Casey?" He struggled to speak while wincing in pain.

Derek's face fell as he forced back the tears that wanted to fall once again. He avoided Ben's gaze as he stared at the wall with guilt.

"I... I couldn't get her in time."

He could see the anger and hurt flash in Ben's expression and he wasn't sure if it was directed at him or at Haldega.

"You need..." Ben breathed out in a raspy voice, "to call... Karma."

"How?"

"Phone... in... back pocket."

Derek nodded as he quickly reached behind Ben, making sure not to hurt him even more and pulled out a small black cell from the back pocket of his jeans. He handed it to Ben and the secret agent held it up to his face as he pressed a number on the key pad.

Derek noticed his eye beginning to close and his head starting to droop as the phone began ringing on the other line.

"Ben!" Derek shouted as he touched his face and tried lifting his chin. "Ben, stay awake! I can't do this without you!"

"Hello?" The faint voice of Karma spoke through the receiver. "Ben, is that you?"

Derek groaned as he grabbed the phone from Ben's hand and spoke urgently, "Karma, its Derek! Ben's been shot! I don't know what to do, he's falling asleep!"

"Derek, where are you?" Karma raised her voice in concern. "Did you find Casey?"

Derek flinched at the mention of his stepsister as he replied, "We're at some kind of abandoned airport outside of the city. You need to hurry. He's lost a lot of blood."

"I'm on my way! Make sure you keep pressure on the wound. Find whatever you can to prevent more blood from escaping."

Derek nodded as he placed his hand back on Ben's stomach, not caring that he was getting covered in his blood.

"Is Casey with you, Derek?" Karma asked but Derek didn't reply as he ended the call and dropped the phone to the ground.

"Ben!" Derek shouted as he tried to shake the man awake. "Ben, please don't die on me! I can't get Casey back without you!"

(=)

Unknown Location

5:32 PM

"Did you find it?"

"I'm picking up on something in the back of her neck."

"Well hurry up and get rid of it."

"I can't just dig in there and grab it. I need something to kill the signal with."

Casey tried to still her breathing as she listened to the two men speaking above her. She'd been awake for the last two minutes now but luckily they hadn't noticed. They were too busy trying to find the tracker that the Agency had injected into her neck three years ago. She wasn't sure how they knew about it but they did and they intended to get rid of it before she was tracked down.

She could still feel the throbbing pain in her shoulder from the bullet wound but tried to ignore it for the time being.

"Why can't you just cut her open and pull the dang thing out?" Haldega's voice growled in frustration.

"Have you ever seen a tracker used for injection?" The voice of Kraemin snapped at his boss. "It's smaller than a microchip and would be impossible to just pull out. I need some kind of electrical device, like a taser gun..."

Casey was impressed. Who knew the ugly goon was smart?

"Where are we supposed to get a taser gun?"

"I don't know... I might be able to come up with something similar."

"Well you better make haste because we don't have all night. Once that stupid pilot gets his arm sewn up, we need to get out of here before they track her down again and actually succeed in capturing us and getting her back."

Casey couldn't help the gasp that escaped her mouth when she heard what Haldega said.

_Ben and Karma had tried to rescue me... but what happened? Something must have gone wrong if I'm still with these creeps. _

Suddenly there was a yank on Casey's hair as she let out a cry of protest at the pain emanating from her scalp.

"Well look who's finally awake." Kraemin's voice hissed in her ear, causing Casey to shiver in revulsion.

"What did you do to my friends?" Casey demanded to know as she spoke, despite her parched throat.

Haldega laughed as he came into Casey's view and grinned maliciously at her while Kraemin continued to hold her head back by her hair, "Well I do seem to recall shooting your little blonde friend once again," the evil man chuckled. "I highly doubt he survived this time. It's such a shame too; he was a good looking man." He tsked with a mock shake of his head.

Casey wanted to cry out, she wanted to get free and smack that grin from his face.

"You're lying." She spoke through clenched teeth.

Haldega shrugged his shoulders, "Believe what you want, Miss. McDonald, but your boyfriend most likely bled out while we managed to escape with you in our possession."

Casey tried to fight back the tears threatening to spill at the thought of Ben dying at the hands of Greggor Haldega as she growled at him and looked away.

Kraemin finally let go of her hair as he chuckled at her misery.

Casey looked around and realized that she was in some kind of machine or vehicle, most likely a helicopter. She couldn't see much, due to the fact that she was on the floor. She could tell by the dim light shining into the vehicle that it was almost night time outside, which meant that the sun was beginning to set.

"Start figuring out how you're going to kill that tracker in her neck." Haldega ordered his right hand man. "We need to get out of here before night fall."

"I've already got a plan." Kraemin grinned as he grabbed Casey under her arms and lifted her over his shoulder.

Casey cried out at the pain in her shoulder as he stepped out of the helicopter, which Casey could now see was what she'd presumed it to be, and carried her around the black machine to the pilot's door.

"What are you doing?" Haldega asked when he opened the pilot's door and set Casey down on the seat.

"I'm going to kill the signal in her neck." Kraemin grinned as he knelt down and ripped two pieces of wire from beneath the steering column.

Her bound hands made it impossible for her to fight back as Casey realized what Kraemin's intentions were. She tried to scream but he'd managed to cover her mouth with his hand.

"Would you hold her still for me?" Kraemin snapped at his boss.

Haldega glared at the man before giving in and reaching over to hold Casey down as the young agent fought with all her might against her captors.

She watched with wide, terrified eyes as the large man held the broken wires together causing an electrical shock to light up the cockpit they were currently in.

"No!" Casey tried to scream out but it was no use. Tears began to fall from her eyes as Kraemin advanced on her with the wires.

"That won't kill her, right?" Haldega asked when he finally realized what Kraemin was about to do.

"No, but it'll definitely hurt like hell." He sneered. He then grabbed Casey's head and twisted it so that she faced away from him.

She felt Haldega move her hair away from her neck and braced herself for the unbearable pain of her flesh being shocked as she closed her eyes and waited for it to be over.

(=)

Munich Secret Agency Headquarters

Munich, Bavaria

6:54 PM

Karma Hesston watched through the glass window of the operating room where the Munich Secret Agency surgeons worked on removing the bullet from Benjamin's abdomen. She swiped at a stray tear with the back of her hand and forced her body to turn away from the scene. She couldn't bear to watch the life of the man she was falling for be at risk over a bullet; such a small device, yet so deadly.

She thought back to when she'd first received the call from Derek. She'd ordered Nicolas Walls to stay in the hotel room even though his company was worried sick about him. She couldn't afford to lose the one advantage they had over Haldega at the moment.

She knew she couldn't go to the airport alone. She needed help but a regular hospital would most likely question how Ben was shot and their cover would be blown. An idea struck her then to get a hold of the secret agency in Munich that was allies with R.E.D. It was her only choice.

An hour later, Karma entered the abandoned airport with ten Munich agents, including two doctors. They took the unconscious thug into custody and immediately got Ben onto a stretcher and into the emergency helicopter.

Karma could remember the gut wrenching pain she'd felt in her stomach when she saw the state that Ben was in. She wanted to cry right then and there but she knew she had to stay strong. What was even worse was the look on Derek's face when she'd asked about Casey.

"She's gone. Haldega took her." The hockey player replied through cold, tear stained eyes. He'd then walked away before she could question him further and followed the Munich agents towards the awaiting copters outside.

Guilt was now eating away at the young blonde agent as she took a seat in a chair against the wall of the waiting room and let her head drop into her hands. She should have stayed to help Casey fight off Haldega's men. She shouldn't have listened to her when Casey told her to leave. Maybe then Casey would still be here and maybe then Benjamin wouldn't be fighting to stay alive.

"It's my fault." She muttered under her breath as she shook her head in anger.

"No it's not." A familiar voice spoke and Karma lifted her head to see Derek standing in front of her with a bottle of water in his hand. He extended the water to her and she graciously took it as he sat down in the seat beside her.

"Thank you." She nodded at him as she twisted off the cap and took a sip of the cool liquid. She then turned to look at him, taking in his haggard appearance and melancholy state. "Derek, I..."

"It's not your fault that Casey was taken, Karma." Derek interrupted her sentence as he stared back her with solemn brown eyes. "It's mine."

Karma immediately shook her head and opened her mouth to object but he cut her off again.

"I had her in my arms." He growled as he ran his hands through his shaggy brown hair. "I could have jumped off that helicopter with her but I..." he paused, trying to hold in the sobs wanting to escape.

Karma reached over and took his hand in hers as she spoke through misted eyes, "Derek, there was nothing you could do. They would have killed you both if you hadn't have gotten out when you did. Casey would have wanted you to leave her if meant protecting yourself."

Derek grimaced as he shook his head with a scowl, "No, I could have fought them off; I could've tried harder to save her, I..."

Karma squeezed his hand as she forced his gaze to meet hers and spoke in as calm a voice as she could, "We will get her back, Derek. We'll get Casey back."

"What if we're already too late?" He asked as a single tear slid down his cheek.

"We're not. Even though I haven't known Casey that long, I do know that she is strong. She's one of the best agents I know. She'll get through this and we'll see her again. _You _will see her again."

Derek nodded as he pulled his hand from hers to wipe at his tear stained eyes. He then looked ahead of him at the room where Ben was being operated on in.

"How... How is he? Have they told you anything?"

Karma shook her head with sigh, "They're doing all they can, but he's lost a lot of blood."

"I have to say, the guy has guts. He went into that building to take on three guys with a tranquillizer gun and a wounded shoulder. He had no chance, yet he did it anyway. I can see why you and Casey admire him so much." He added the last part with a frown.

"You like her, don't you?"

"What?"

"You like Casey," Karma smiled amidst her tears. "As in more than a stepsister."

Derek shook his head with wide eyes, "No, I..."

Karma scoffed, "Don't deny it. It's written all over your face."

He avoided her gaze as he stared at the tiled floor beneath them, "I... I love her." He admitted with a sigh. "But it doesn't matter. She'll never feel the same way."

"You never know unless you give it a shot." Karma offered with a weak smile.

"She has feelings for Ben and I seriously can't compete with that guy."

"Maybe she thinks she has feelings for him, only because they've been partners for so long but deep down it's really you she wants."

Derek looked at her with a raised brow, "What are you some kind of psychologist?"

"Not exactly... I just... I see the way she looks at you and I think she feels the same way but she's afraid to admit it."

Derek snorted, "That would explain why she kissed me and then started freaking out afterwards."

"Casey kissed you?" Karma exclaimed with wide eyes as she grabbed Derek's arm in excitement. "When? Where? Tell me what happened!"

Derek shook his head and let out a breath, "Last night... or I guess this morning... We were talking and suddenly she kissed me..."

"Did you kiss back?"

"Of course I did, after my initial shock of course."

"Then what happened?"

Derek blushed at the memory and couldn't believe he was telling someone, let alone another woman about this.

"While we were... you know... kissing, I knew, knowing Casey, that she was going to realize what was happening and freak out, which she did." He glowered at the floor. "She always has to over analyze everything and can't just go with the flow."

Karma nodded with a sad smile, "Yes, but she wouldn't be Casey if she didn't."

"I know." Derek groaned as he let his hands grip at his hair in frustration. His face suddenly paled when the last image he had of Casey flashed through his mind once again. "Now she's tied up, wounded and being held captive by a maniac." He grumbled to himself.

Before Karma could reply, a tall middle aged man with dark, greying hair, brown eyes, and a strong build approached them wearing a black suit.

"Agent Hesston?" The man spoke in a German accent as he extended his hand to her.

Karma stood up and cleared her throat as she shook his hand, "Yes, Sir."

"My name is Harvel Weiss. I am in charge of this Agency."

"It's nice to meet you, Sir. We are very grateful for you help today."

"I have spoken to your Colonel in Toronto and I am to inform you that as soon as my people have finished operating on your agent, you are to leave our country and return to your headquarters with Nicolas Walls."

"We can't just leave!" Derek suddenly stood up in defiance. "What about Casey?"

"Derek." Karma hissed, trying to calm him down.

"And whom, may I ask are you, Sir?" Harvel Weiss raised a brow at the distraught man.

"My name is Derek Venturi and there is no way that I am leaving here without my stepsister." Derek growled bitterly.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I can handle this." Karma smiled apologetically at the man before pulling Derek to the side and whispering harshly. "We need to head back home, Derek. Colonel Kluess is going to want to speak with us about what happened here."

"And what about Casey? We're just going to leave her here?"

"She isn't in Germany anymore." Karma sighed.

"Then where is she?"

"I don't know... We lost the signal of her tracker an hour ago."

"Why didn't you tell me this?" He raised his voice.

"Because I didn't want to worry you."

"So what, we're just going to fly back to Toronto and take whatever orders your Colonel gives us? I bet he doesn't even care that Casey was taken!"

"Yes he does, Derek. Colonel Kluess is a very loyal man and he cares deeply about all of his agents, especially Casey."

Derek glared angrily at her, "If your agency doesn't start looking for her the minute we arrive back, I will do it myself." He said and then turned around to walk away.

"Derek!" Karma called out to him but he ignored her and continued walking out the doors of the emergency room.

* * *

><p><strong>Man, I feel so bad for putting Casey and Ben in so much pain... :( But it just wouldn't be realistic if I didn't (not that this story is really realistic... Haha)<strong>

**Please feel free to Review. It would mean a lot!**

**Thanks for Reading!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Merry belated CHRISTmas! I hope you all had an Amazing one! I know I did. :D**

**I know this update is a bit late but it was Christmas week after all... Plus my mind just couldn't focus. Blah. I finally forced myself to just sit down and finished the next chapter for you. **

**Thanks for the Reviews, alerts, favorites, etc! You guys Rock all the way around the Christmas Tree and beyond! (Yes, that was lame, but I don't care :P)**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 25<strong>

_Four Years_ Ago

_R.E.D. Headquarters_

_3:39 PM_

"_Chip; there are intruders in the building!" Ben's voice shouted as he sneered at the NSA agents before them; he then gripped Casey's hand in his and shot her a wink._

_ Suddenly an ear splitting alarm sounded within the building and Chip's voice began repeating over and over: "Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"_

_ While Agent Carlson and his men were startled by the noise and red lights flashing, Ben and Casey managed to slip past them and ran through the lab towards the secret passageway in the far wall._

_ "Find those two before they escape again!" Casey could hear Carlson yell at his men._

_ Before they could reach the hidden door, a gun shot went off in the lab and a bullet zipped past Ben's head. _

_ Casey stared at her partner with wide eyes, "Did they just shoot at us?" She exclaimed just as another shot was fired in their direction._

_ "I'd say so." Ben replied with an equally shocked expression. _

_ Casey was beginning to think that Carlson and his men weren't who they said they were as Ben yanked her down beside him while they hid behind a counter._

_ "We have to get out of here before they kill us!" Casey whisper yelled to the man at her side._

_ Ben didn't reply as he peeked over the counter to see where their assailants were._

_ "Ben, please tell me you have a plan?" Casey pulled on his arm so that he looked at her and pleaded with desperate eyes._

_ "Well I definitely didn't see this coming." Her partner admitted with a frown. "But I have an idea." _

_ Casey noticed that his eyes failed to have their usual mischievous glint and she knew that she wasn't going to like this plan._

_ "I'll distract them while you escape through the passageway." Ben said to her as he stared seriously into her eyes._

_ She immediately shook her head, "No, Ben! There is no way that I am leaving you here!"_

_ "I'll be right behind you!"_

_ "No! We stick together!"_

_ "Casey, I can't risk the both of us getting caught. You need to go now!"_

_ "I am not leaving you!" Casey stood her ground as she glared at him and Ben knew he wasn't going to be able to change her mind. She was definitely stubborn. _

_ He let out a sigh as he peeked around the corner again, seeing that Carlson and his men were approaching fast. _

_ "Then we have no choice but to fight." He spoke solemnly. _

_ Casey bit her lip, "But they took our guns."_

_ "I know." _

_ The young agent nodded, understanding that this was their only chance. _

_ "Let's do this then." She said as she squeezed his hand once more and went to stand up. _

_ "So, I'm guessing by the way you guys are shooting at us that you are just like Phillip Greenwood?" Ben spoke loudly as he and Casey stood up with their hands raised in surrender._

_ Carlson and his men stood a few feet away with their guns pointed at the two agents and grins on their faces._

_ "Maybe not exactly like Phil, considering he obviously has a soft spot for Miss. McDonald here." Carlson scowled disgustedly as he continued to approach them. "I can't believe that idiot let the two of you live."_

_ "At least he managed to do _something_ right," Ben said with a smirk, "because we're the ones that are going to take you down!" _

_ Before the double-crossing NSA agents could fire their weapons, Casey and Ben both launched over the counter centered between them and their enemies and kicked the guns out of their hands._

_ Ben went after the two goons while Casey took on Richmond Carlson herself. _

_ "You really think you two rookies can defeat us and the rest of the people involved? This goes way beyond anything you could imagine. You have no idea what you're getting yourselves into." Carlson said as Casey advanced on him, jumping from the counter and punching him in the jaw._

_ "Don't underestimate my partner and me." Casey growled and ducked just in time to miss his fist slamming into her face, almost knocking the breathing mask off._

_ Casey blocked his attacks with her arms and managed to punch him in the gut. Carlson stumbled back into another counter, knocking over a couple of beakers and test tubes. He scowled bitterly at her as he clutched his stomach._

_ She heard a groan come from Ben and turned to see one of the men holding him in a vice grip while the other man repeatedly punched him in the abdomen. _

_ "Casey, get out of here now!" Ben shouted to her, his face wincing in pain from another blow._

_ "I won't leave you!" She yelled back. _

_ All of a sudden she felt a gun press into her back and Carlson's arm snaked around her neck, causing her to choke from the pressure as it cut off her air supply._

_ "You should've listened to your partner, Casey." The NSA betrayer breathed into her ear causing Casey to shiver with revulsion. _

_ She tried to break free from his hold but it was no use. She and Ben were both caught with no way out._

_ "Now, be a good little spy and hold still." Carlson said and suddenly Casey felt a slight prick in her neck and her vision began to blur._

_ "What did you just do?" She choked out as he let go of her and she fell to the ground. Her limbs felt like jelly when she tried to stand up._

_ "Since you and your partner are so keen on stopping us, I'm sure it'd be even more fun for you to witness as the rest of our plan is taken into effect." He grinned down at her before Casey's eyes closed and she collapsed to the floor with a groan._

(=)

"_Casey... Casey..." Casey blinked a couple of times as the blurry image of her partner kneeling over her came into view. _

_ "W... What happened?" She choked out. Her throat was extremely dry and it hurt to talk._

_ "I don't know... but at least we're alive." Ben breathed out with a sigh as he grabbed her hand to help her sit up._

_ The young agent leaned against the cement wall behind her and brought her knees to her chest as she placed her palm on her forehead._

_ "You alright?" Ben asked with concern._

_ "Just a bit dizzy." _

_ "Same here. Whatever they gave us was strong and the side effects haven't worn off yet."_

_ "Do you have any idea what it was?"_

_ "I don't even know how long we've been out. It could be a week later and we wouldn't know." He frowned at the dimly lit room surrounding them. _

_ Casey gasped, "I pray to God that it hasn't been that long. My family would begin to worry about me and think I'm dead."_

_ Ben placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder to calm her down, "I'm sure it hasn't been more than a day, Casey. Your family will be fine and you _will_ see them again."_

_ Casey nodded weakly and let her head drop in her hands._

_ "We need to keep it together while we're in here. We can't let them know that they've affected us in the slightest. Remember your training."_

_ Casey scowled across the room, "I was trained by a traitor. Who knows if my training was even accurate?"_

_ "Obviously it was or you wouldn't be here right now."_

_ "Where do you even think 'here' is?" She asked as she glanced around the small enclosure. The walls and floor were made of cold cement bricks; a light bulb hung in the middle of the ceiling, looking like it wouldn't last much longer as it flickered occasionally; a large metal door stood at the far end of the room, most likely locked from the outside; and a bucket sat in the far right corner, which caused Casey to shiver at the thought of what it was for. _

_ "Maybe they've taken us to their hide out?" He guessed with a shrug. _

_ "I don't understand why they didn't just kill us..." _

_ Ben's frown deepened, "Because that would be a treat compared to what I'm guessing they have planned for us."_

_ Casey was silent for a moment as she bit her lip, trying to hold in the tears threatening to spill. This job had turned out to be way more than she expected. _

_ "Do you ever..." Casey spoke hesitantly, "regret this job?"_

_ Ben sighed as he took a seat against the wall beside her and leaned his head back so that he was staring up at the cemented roof, "Honestly, I love this job, but these past few days have definitely taken their toll on me. Saving the world is not all that it's cracked up to be. It's a hard job, especially since we don't have super human powers to aid us." Ben turned his green eyed gaze towards her with the hint of a smirk on his lips._

_ Thoughts of the kiss Ben had planted on her before running from the fake NSA cronies came to her mind once again and she wanted to know what it meant, especially if this could be their last moments alive..._

_ Casey was about to open her mouth to speak her mind when the door at the end of the room squealed open and in walked Richmond Carlson with that disgusting smug smile on his face._

_ "You're finally awake." He said as he approached them with two other men standing behind to watch the door._

_ "Where are we?" Ben asked as he stood up and glared at the man._

_ "Now, why would I tell you that?" The side of Carlson's mouth twitched with amusement. _

_ "What do you want with us?" Casey asked as she stood to her feet as well and matched her partner's glower._

_ "Well since we can't have you two out ruining our plans, we had to take you with us."_

_ "What was in the drug you gave us?"_

_ Carlson shrugged, "Nothing that could seriously harm you. I bet you're thirsty beyond belief though, huh?"_

_ Neither agent replied, which confirmed the truth. Even the thought of water drenching her parched throat made Casey shiver with anticipation._

_ "I thought so." He grinned. "If you promise to behave, then I can quench that thirst for you."_

_ "We don't want anything from you." Ben scowled fiercely. "Now tell us why you're here or get out."_

_ Carlson tsked as he shook his head, "Now, is that any way to talk to your host? All I'm offering is a bottle of water."_

_ Casey scoffed, "How do we know it's not drugged or poisoned?"_

_ "You'll just have to trust me." He shrugged nonchalantly with a wink. "Besides, if you don't drink anything in the next hour, you'll start to hallucinate and possibly pass out."_

_ "Screw off." Ben snapped. "We don't want your water."_

_ "He's telling the truth, Agent Blake." A familiar voice said from behind the former NSA agent. _

_ A shiver went down Casey's spine when Phillip Greenwood entered the room, avoiding meeting Casey's gaze as he continued to speak._

_ "Take the water. You know you need it."_

_ "YOU." Casey spoke with venom in her voice as she took a step forward. "How could you do this? How could you betray everyone you worked with, including me?"_

_ Ben grabbed her arm, forcing her to take a step back as she glared intensely at her former handler and friend._

_ She thought she saw a flash of guilt in eyes but it was quickly replaced with a grim expression, "I don't expect you to understand, Casey, but you should at least be grateful that I saved your life." _

_ "I would have rather you let me suffer with the rest of my colleagues." She snarled through a hoarse voice. _

_ "Just drink the water." Phil said before tossing two bottles to the floor and walking away without another word._

_ "Awe. What a touching reunion." Carlson mocked with his hand to his heart. He then turned to walk out the door before shouting over his shoulder at them, "And don't even think of trying to escape. This place is heavily guarded. One step out of this room and you'll have a bullet through your head." _

_ Ben and Casey both looked away as he waved at them and closed the metal door with loud bang._

_ "Are you okay?" Her partner asked as he turned to her._

_ Casey didn't reply as she picked up one of the bottles of clear liquid and inspected it. _

_ "Do you think this is really safe?" She asked, ignoring his question. She didn't want to talk about Phillip right now. After yelling at him, her throat felt like it was on fire and she'd really like to know if her life was still a possibility if she drank the enemy's water._

_ "Let me take the first sip. If I don't pass out or die, then we'll know it's good." Ben said as he grabbed the other bottle from the floor and twisted off the cap._

_ "That's suicide!" Casey cried as she stared at him with wide eyes. "I will not let you do that!"_

_ "It's the only way to know for sure, and I'd rather risk my life than yours."_

_ "I'm touched that you care so much, Ben, but I won't let you do that."_

_ "It's not your choice to make." He said and tipped the bottle to his lips._

_ "Why did you kiss me?" Casey suddenly blurted out before a drop of water could touch his mouth._

_ Ben's eyes widened for a moment as he lowered the bottle and looked at the wall behind her. He ran a hand through his blonde locks and let out a sigh, "I... I don't know..."_

_ Casey fidgeted with her fingers as she looked into his eyes, "Did... did you mean it?"_

_ "Did I mean what?"_

_ "The kiss... I mean... Did it mean anything to you?"_

_ Ben averted her gaze and shook his head, "I don't know... I guess I just did it to do it..."_

_ Casey quirked a confused brow, "So you just kissed me because you could? There was no real reason behind it?"_

_ He could see the anger beginning to build in her expression and tried to search for the right words, "Look, Casey, I admit that I do feel an attraction to you but... we're partners... and we've only just started out together..."_

_ "I get it, Ben." She held up a hand to silence him. "But if you knew that nothing could become of it, then you shouldn't have done it in the first place."_

_ "I'm sorry?" He said and it was more of a question than an answer._

_ "Whatever." Casey shook her head, suddenly wanting to stand in a corner to shake off the humiliation and confusion she was feeling at the moment._

_ She knew Ben was right. They'd only just begun to work together as a team and they couldn't screw that up by starting a relationship. What if it didn't work out? They couldn't exactly ask for new partners. They were stuck with each other for however long the Agency decided to keep them._

_ "The water is fine by the way." Ben's voice spoke from behind her._

_ Casey spun around to see him drinking the foreboding liquid and without thinking she smacked the bottle from his hands with a horrified shriek causing it to spill all over the floor._

_ "Casey!" Ben shouted as he looked at her with a shocked expression. "You just wasted my water!"_

_ "I told you not to drink it!" She scolded him._

_ "It wasn't poisoned or anything."_

_ "How do you know it wasn't?"_

_ "Because I just did."_

_ "You're an idiot." She shook her head as she folded her arms across her chest and continued to glare at him._

_ "Yeah, well thanks to you, this idiot has no water."_

_ "Are you sure it's safe?" She asked with apprehension as she took a step towards him. "You're not going to suddenly fall over and have a heart attack, are you?" _

_ Ben grabbed her by the shoulders and stared into her eyes, "Casey, I'm fine. Just drink the water before you completely lose your voice and start hallucinating."_

_ Casey glanced down at the bottle in her hands and hesitantly twisted off the cap and brought it to her mouth._

_ "We can share it." She said to him with a half smile._

_ "Are you sure?"_

_ "Yes." She said and quickly gulped down the water before she could give it anymore thought. _

_ The cool liquid running down her throat felt amazing as Casey took another sip before handing the bottle to Ben. It didn't taste any different than water should and neither of them had passed out yet or felt any side effects because of it, so Casey finally concluded that it was safe to drink._

_ "We should make sure we save some." She said as he handed the water back to her and she replaced the lid. "Just in case they plan on keeping us in here for a long time."_

_ "Good thinking, Bluebird." He smiled at her. "And in the meantime, we need to plan some form of an escape."_

_ "But Carlson said..."_

_ "Carlson's an ass and there is no way that his threats meant anything to me. We're getting out of here, Casey, and we're going to find that antidote." _

_ "What about Phil?" Casey grimaced._

_ "What about him?"_

_ "He won't let us leave either, and he knows us, he knows how we think. How are supposed to pull one over on him when he was one of the reasons I even became a spy?"_

_ "We'll figure something out."_

(=)

Present Time

Casey's Apartment

Downtown Toronto

10:36 AM

Derek let out a sigh as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the spare key to his stepsister's place. He cringed at the thought of walking into her house without her there to nag him or tell him what to do.

After the private jet landed about an hour ago, Derek was forced to go home and get some rest before meeting up with Colonel Kluess at R.E.D. Derek refused to just go home and sleep while Casey was out there right now suffering at the hands of Haldega and his ugly goon. He'd wanted to go straight to the Agency and demand to speak with the boss immediately but Karma told him that wouldn't be a good idea. Kluess wasn't even at the building right now because he was already making plans to get his agent back, which made Derek feel slightly more at ease.

Ben had pulled through during surgery in Germany but he still needed to be checked out by the doctors in their own country, and he still wasn't very conscious, which had Karma going crazy on the inside. Derek was at least relieved to know that Casey's partner was alive. He was grateful for everything Ben had done to try and get Casey back.

_Casey._

He shook his head as the last image of her appeared in his mind once again and proceeded to open the door and walk inside.

A red light suddenly lit up the room, startling Derek and making him gasp.

"Good morning, Derek Venturi." Chip's voice spoke, which caused Derek's rapidly beating heart to return to a steady pace as he closed the door and locked it, not bothering to reply to the security system.

"I detect sorrow." Chip said as Derek made his way towards the kitchen, dropping his and Casey's luggage in the front hallway.

"I don't want to talk about it, Chip." Derek snapped.

He ran a hand through his dishevelled hair, knowing that he needed a shower but deciding it could wait until after he ate. Even in a depressed state, Derek needed his food. He opened a cupboard above the stove and grabbed a can of Ravioli. It was simple to make and would quench his hunger for the time being.

While Derek poured the contents of the can into a bowl and opened the microwave, he heard a phone ringing in the other room. He set the bowl down and went in search of the noise, wondering where it was coming from. It couldn't be his phone because R.E.D. had confiscated it in case he tried to contact anyone after the incident at the rink.

He edged closer to Casey's bag and realized the sound was coming from inside her luggage.

_Should I answer it? _He wondered as he unzipped the front pocket of the suitcase and pulled out a small black cell phone. He didn't recognize it as anything Casey had owned. _Odd... _He thought while it continued ringing in his hand. He finally let out a sigh as he clicked talk and put the phone to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Mr. Venturi," a male voice answered on the other end, "my name is Phillip Greenwood and I think I know where Casey is."

* * *

><p><strong>Ooohh! (Who else thought of the Oh cat from Puss in Boots? Lol) What do you think is going to happen in both past and present? Can Phil really be trusted? Aahh! It's getting Intense!<strong>

**Please Review and even let me know how Awesome your Christmas was! **

**Have a Very Happy New Year! Make good New Year choices! See you in 2012!**


	26. Chapter 26

**Happy 2012! I hope you all had an Awesome New Years! I introduced the Awesomeness of "Spice World" to my eight-year-old sister that night. It was pretty fun, especially since I was her age when I first saw the movie. Such an Amazing movie!**

**Anyway... Sorry it took a little longer to update... Life just gets in the way sometimes, as well as writers block... I knew where I wanted to go with this chapter but I wasn't sure _exactly_ how it would flow... I guess you'll be my judge on how well it was.**

**Thanks for all the Reviews, alerts, favorites, etc! It makes me ecstatic that you are enjoying my story. :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 26<strong>

Location Unknown

9:12 PM

Weakness. She hated weakness. It tampered with everything she'd learnt in the last six years at R.E.D. but Casey couldn't help it. She was weak and she knew it.

After disconnecting the locating chip in her neck with an electrical shock that had knocked her out due to the immense pain, Casey had woken up in what appeared to be a prison cell. It was small and ancient looking, like it hadn't been used in years. Her hands were no longer bound and it seemed that they'd decided to tend to her wounded shoulder with a little more care. It didn't hurt as much, which meant they'd managed to remove the piercing bullet, and it had a clean bandage placed over top of it.

Casey let out a groan as she leaned her aching body against the far wall of the cell. She'd been in the cell for almost two hours now and not a single soul had appeared to speak with her or even offer her a bottle of water.

_Is Haldega that cruel that he can't even give me a drink of water? _Casey thought with a scowl. _It's not like I can really put up much of a fight in this state anyway. _She sighed as she winced from the throbbing pain eliciting from the burn on her neck.

She tried to ignore the hunger rumbling in her stomach but it was getting worse with each second that ticked by.

_I wish they would just get on with whatever they have me here for... _

Guilt flooded her gut as Ben's face flashed in her mind and she knew he'd be disappointed with her if he knew the thoughts she was thinking. She'd practically given up, which was something a secret agent should never do.

Images of her family were then forced into her head and she knew she couldn't surrender to her enemies. What would her family think when they found at that she'd just disappeared...? And what would Derek think when he heard that she'd died without even putting up a fight?

_Derek. _Casey thought with misted eyes. _Why did I have to go and kiss him? _She frowned with frustration. _Do I really like him in that way...? _She had to admit that she'd enjoyed the feel of her stepbrother's lips on hers; it was like nothing she'd ever felt before. _But it was wrong... I can't be having feelings for Derek. It's just not right._

Casey's turmoil in her mind was interrupted when she heard heavy footsteps clacking on the concrete floor, nearing her cell. She looked up to see the ugly beast named Kraemin sneering at her from behind the rusted bars.

"How are you feeling today, Sunshine?" He spoke with a malicious chuckle.

Casey scowled at him from her corner of the wall. Her throat was so dry that she couldn't even open her mouth to snap back at him.

"How's your neck? I bet it feels terrific." He winked, causing bile to rise in her throat at the way he was staring at her.

Casey held her arms in front of her exposed skin from where her shirt had been ripped so that they could bandage her shoulder and turned away from the evil man, once again letting her head rest on the cold wall with her eyes closed.

"Fine, be that way." She heard him growl and then there was a clang against the floor of her cell. "I'll be seeing you later." He said before his footsteps retreated back the way they'd come.

Casey opened her eyes and saw that a tray with a sandwich and a bottle of water sat at the entrance of her cell. She immediately wanted to rush over to it but she was afraid that Kraemin was still lurking behind the corner and would return to continue his tormenting.

She stared at the food and beverage for a while and finally decided that the hideous goon wouldn't be returning right away, so she might as well eat before she passed out from dehydration and hunger.

She inspected the bottle of water to make sure there were no puncture holes that they could have used to inject a virus or some kind of drug into it and then opened the cap and gulped down the cool liquid, once she decided it was safe.

After a couple more sips, she took up the sandwich in her hands and examined it as well. It held two slices of whole wheat bread, what seemed to be turkey in the middle, along with some lettuce. She knew it was risky to take a bite but her grumbling stomach overpowered her rationality as she let her teeth sink into the food and swallow a piece.

_If I'm going to die, I'd rather it not be from starvation. _Casey decided and continued to finish off the sandwich and take another two sips of water.

She had to be strong; for her family and for her friends. She knew she was on her own. There was no way R.E.D. could trace her without the chip and she could be anywhere right now. Ben wouldn't come crashing through the door to save her.

_If he's even alive right now... _Her eyes widened at the thought. She'd completely forgotten about Haldega saying he'd shot her partner again. _Ben can't die! _

Casey's eyes began to flood with tears and she couldn't stop them from rolling down her cheeks as she sobbed openly into the wall.

"I won't give up! I'm going to fight with every last bit of strength I have left!" Casey spoke aloud, her voice echoing off the walls.

_Ben isn't dead and neither am I!_

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

Downtown Toronto

2:57 PM

"You didn't sleep, did you?" Karma said the moment Derek stepped inside the R.E.D. building with narrowed eyes and crossed arms.

Derek shrugged and ran a hand through his damp just-showered hair, "Did you really expect me to?" He asked the young agent with a frown.

She sighed with a sympathetic look in her eyes, "I'd hoped you would but I understand why you can't."

Derek looked away from her and stuffed his hands into his jeans pockets as they began walking through the lobby towards the elevators.

"So... Is your boss back yet? Has he decided what we're going to do to get Casey back?" He asked while Karma pressed the button and the elevator doors dinged open.

"He's here but I haven't spoken to him yet."

"And what about Ben? Have you heard anything new?"

"He's still unconscious but at least he's stable. The doctors want to keep him in the medical facility for a couple of days. They said he should wake up within the next few hours."

"He's going to hate me." Derek blew out a breath as he watched the doors meet together, locking them into the small enclosure.

"Why do you say that?" Karma turned to him with questioning eyes.

"Because... he trusted me with one job: to get Casey... and I blew it." He growled out in frustration.

Karma entered the security code into the key pad that popped out of the wall before returning her gaze to the distraught man and placing her hand on his arm.

"Derek, I already told you; it's not your fault."

The room lit up with Chip's red scanning beam and the security system greeted them.

"Hello, Chip." Karma replied, letting her hand drop from Derek's arm.

"I detect..."

Derek interrupted the computer's voice with a scowl on his face, "I don't want to hear what kind of mood I'm in, Chip, so please just keep your evaluations to yourself!"

"Affirmative, Mr. Derek Venturi." Chip responded as Karma raised a brow at the hockey player beside her.

Once they landed on the office floor, Karma began directing Derek down the hall.

"I have to make sure that it's alright with the Colonel if you join us for the meeting on Casey's behalf." The secret agent in training said as she stopped in front of an office door.

Derek scoffed, "I don't care if I am or not. She's my stepsister and I have a right to be a part of this."

"I know, Derek, but let me talk to him first. You are welcome to wait in Cas... um... _my_ office if you'd like."

"Actually I'd like to wait in Casey's office." Derek surprised her by saying.

"Are you sure?"

He nodded, "I think I can find it if you point me in the right direction."

Karma hesitated before dipping her chin and smiling sadly, "It's down the hall and to your left. I'll come and get you in a few minutes."

Derek let out a grunt of acknowledgement and began walking in the direction she'd indicated.

His mind was still reeling from the phone call he'd received only hours before; the conversation still kept replaying over and over in his head.

_"Mr. Venturi," a male voice answered on the other end, "my name is Phillip Greenwood and I think I know where Casey is." _

_ Derek's eyes widened in shock as he grasped for the right words to say, "What do you mean? How do you know Casey?"_

_ "It's a long story, but I assure you that I can be trusted."_

_ Derek scoffed, anger suddenly taking over him as he scowled into the receiver, "Casey has never mentioned you before. How do I know you're not working with the men who kidnapped her?"_

_ "Look, do you want me help or not?" The man on the other end snapped._

_ "I don't need your help. The R.E.D. is already in the middle of planning a rescue." Derek snapped back, growing irritated with the man._

_ "They have no idea where she is, and even if they did, there is no way that they would risk one agent for the world." _

_ "That's a lie!"_

_ "I worked in the secret agency business for a long time, Kiddo; I know how it works. If you don't let me help you, then you will never see your stepsister again."_

_ "I don't want your help, so screw off!" Derek shouted with a red face._

_ The man on the other end let out a sigh, "You'll change your mind, and once you do, I'll be waiting. Oh, and tell no one about this conversation or else." He said before the line went dead. _

Derek had stood in the middle of the living room with that mysterious phone in his hand for a long time, trying to understand what had just happened. A phone call from Karma telling him to meet her at the R.E.D. building in an hour finally pulled him from his stupor and he quickly jumped in the shower before making his way downtown.

Now, Derek let out a breath as he stopped in front of Casey's office door and silently pushed it open. He needed answers and this may be the only place he could find some.

He stepped inside the petite space that only held a desk, a comfy swivel chair, and a laptop on top of the desk. Everything was neat and tidy, which of course didn't surprise Derek considering it was his keener stepsister's office. He noticed a picture frame on the end of her desk and picked it up in his hands with a slight smile. The image was of the whole family, including Simon, taken four years ago. His eyes lingered on Casey's smiling face as she stood next to him in the picture with his arm draped over her shoulder. A frown formed on his lips as he set the frame back down, cringing as the last image he had of her flashed in his mind once again.

_I promise, I will save you, Casey._

He sat down in her chair and opened the computer. It was of course password protected but after a couple tries, Derek managed to figure out her password.

"So predictable." He muttered with a half smile and began searching through her files in the desktop.

_Phillip Greenwood_. Derek typed into the computer but before he could click on any of the documents, there was a knock on the door and he quickly slammed shut the laptop before spinning around to see Karma entering the office.

"Hey... uh... What were you doing?" The young blonde agent asked with a questioning brow as she stood in the doorway.

"Nothing." Derek said as he stood up. "Is the Colonel ready to talk?"

Karma nodded her head slowly with a suspicious look in her eyes, "Yeah... He wants us in the Mission Room. You coming?"

"Yeah, right behind you." Derek said and then began patting down his pockets in search of something. "Um... I think I dropped my keys somewhere... I'll meet you there."

"You don't even know where it is." Karma frowned.

"So give me directions." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Karma sighed, "How about I just wait outside the door until you find your "keys"." She air quoted with her fingers and rolled her eyes before stepping into the hall and closing the door.

Derek ran a hand through his hair once again before quickly reopening the laptop and clicking on the first file that read: _Phillip Greenwood Dies in a Tragic Accident_.

"Derek, The Colonel doesn't like to be kept waiting. Please hurry up with whatever you're doing in there." Karma called out to him.

Derek sighed with frustration as he read the caption one more time and then closed the file and turned off the computer.

_If Phillip Greenwood is dead, then who the heck was I talking to? _He wondered with confusion as he followed Karma down the hall and into a large room with a rectangular table placed in the middle.

"Mr. Venturi, I presume?" A deep voice startled Derek from his thoughts as he looked up to see a very tall and muscular black man standing before him. He had a scar stretched across his left cheek that caused Derek to flinch momentarily at the sight.

"Uh... Yeah, that's me." He replied as the man gripped his hand in a firm shake.

"My name is Colonel Jaquin Kluess. It's a pleasure to meet you; I only wish it could be on better circumstances." He spoke in a sincere tone and Derek could tell the large man was deeply concerned about Casey as well. "Agent McDonald is one of my best agents."

"I'm sorry to be so straight forward, Sir, but we don't have much time... Are you and your people going after Casey or not?"

Kluess' frown deepened as he turned away from Derek and walked up to the head of the table, "Please, take a seat, Mr. Venturi." He spoke, indicating the seat next to him.

"I'd rather stand, if you don't mind." Derek glowered as he folded his arms across his chest.

"Derek, sit down." Karma hissed at him as she took her seat.

He let out a breath of annoyance before following the young agent's lead and pulling out a chair next to her.

"Now, I understand that none of this has been easy on you, Mr. Venturi. With your sister..."

"_Step_sister." Derek corrected with a grimace.

"With Agent McDonald being kidnapped and Agent Blake being shot, I realize the pain and confusion you are dealing with but... we have to think reasonably about this." He said glancing at Karma.

"What are you talking about?" Derek asked, sitting up straight in his chair.

Kluess sighed and Derek thought he saw a flash of guilt in the man's eyes before he averted his gaze and clicked a button on the remote in his hand. A holographic image appeared in the middle of the table and if Derek wasn't so depressed and on edge about Casey's disappearance, he would've commented on how impressive that was, probably with the use of the word _Awesome_.

"We received an email just a few hours ago from Greggor Haldega." The Colonel spoke with a grim expression. "He has offered up a trade. We give him the Nicotech device in exchange for Agent McDonald."

Derek's eyes widened, "And what did you say?"

Colonel Kluess cleared his throat as he stared at the holographic image of the email and Derek could see the pain in the man's expression as he spoke, "I met with the head council members of the Agency and... we all agreed that we can't just hand over the device to a man who intends to do harm with it... It would put the whole world in danger."

"But what about Casey?" Derek ground out through clenched teeth. "You can't just leave her in the hands of those men!"

"I'm sorry, Derek, I care about Agent..." he paused with a sigh, "_Casey_ too, but she is just one person amongst millions, and besides, we have no way of tracking her. She could be anywhere."

Derek suddenly slammed his hands down against the table with a loud smack as he stood up and scowled at the man in front of him, "So you're just going to _sacrifice_ her?"

Kluess' face hardened and he glared back at the young man, "I don't expect you to understand, Mr. Venturi, but it's what Casey would want. If we give into Haldega's demands, then who knows what we'll be up against? I don't like this decision either but we have no other choice."

"There's always a choice." Derek growled before shoving the chair into the wall with a bang and hurrying out of the room.

"Derek, wait!" Karma called after him. He felt her grab his arm with a firm grip and twist him around to face her. "Where are you going?"

"Do you agree with him?" Derek snapped at her with a red face.

"I..." Karma struggled with the right words as she stared into his seething brown eyes. "You can't blame the Colonel, Derek. He's only thinking of what's best." She replied in a timid voice.

"There is no way in hell that I am leaving Casey to die like some sacrificial lamb at the hands of that _monster_!" Derek cried as he yanked his arm from her grasp.

"I know, Derek, but what are you supposed to do? You don't even know where she is."

_But I know someone who claims he does..._

Derek shook his head, "It doesn't matter. I'm obviously on my own anyway."

"No you're not," she said as she took his hand in hers and stared desperately into his eyes. "Casey is my friend and I care about her too. Whatever you're planning, I'm coming with you."

_"Oh, and tell no one about this conversation or else."_ Derek remembered Phillip, or whoever he was, saying on the phone and turned away from the young blonde with an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry, Karma, but I have to do this on my own." He said and then took off down the hall before she could stop him.

(=)

R.E.D. Medical Facility

4:15 PM

Karma hurried though the doors of the agency's medical center the moment she'd received the call that Ben was awake and asking for her. Relief flooded her system when she saw him through the doorway of the small room he was currently situated in. His cuts and bruises were all bandaged up, he had a new sling on his arm, and she knew that underneath his gown was a bandaged up bullet wound. She could tell he was in pain just by looking as he lay in the hospital bed with a clouded expression.

"Hey," she managed to speak softly as she knocked lightly on the door before entering.

Ben turned to look at her and his eyes widened slightly before he opened his mouth in response, "Is Derek with you?" He asked.

Karma shook her head in remorse, "No. He took off after The Colonel told him that we couldn't rescue Casey. I assume Kluess told you the decision himself?"

"We spoke over the phone," Ben sighed, "and I know how Derek feels."

"He thinks he can save her but he has no idea where she is."

"I do." Ben deadpanned as he stared at the wall across from him.

"What?" Karma wasn't sure she'd heard him correctly.

"I know where Casey is."

"What do you mean? That's impossible!" Karma raised her voice and Ben quickly silenced her with his hand to her mouth.

He stared at her, his green eyes piercing her soul and causing her heart to gain momentum, "You need to keep quiet." He whispered as he glanced out the doorway to make sure no one was listening in. "Can I trust you?"

Karma nodded her head with wide eyes and Ben released his hold on her as he sat back with a hiss of pain.

"What do you mean you know where she is?" The bewildered blonde lowered her voice as she waited for him to explain.

"A man visited me here just after I got off the phone with the Colonel. He said he worked for Haldega. I don't know how he got into the building undetected or past Chip, but he did..."

"And did you call for help?"

"I was about to but then he told me that he had a proposition for me. I was curious to know what he had to say, so I decided to listen."

"He could have killed you, Ben." Karma frowned at him.

"But he didn't, and you want to know why?"

She nodded warily.

"Because he knows where Casey is and he promised to tell me where she is if we brought Nicolas Walls to Haldega."

"What?" Karma raised her voice again and Ben shot her a glare. "Sorry," she blushed and then her expression hardened as she glowered at him. "We can't do that, Ben! The agency already made the decision. It's too much of a risk."

"Well I'm not about to let my partner die!" Ben whispered harshly with a fierce glare.

Karma shook her head in realization as she stared at the man with a slack jaw, "You already agreed, didn't you?"

"I had no choice." Ben explained. "Especially after he showed me this..." He said as he pulled out a picture from under his blanket and handed it to her.

Karma gasped at the image before her and tried to hold in the tears wanting to fall at the horrible sight. The picture was of Casey. She was unconscious in what appeared to be some kind of old jail cell. Her hands were bound, her face was dirty and bruised, her shirt was ripped and it appeared that she'd been shot in the shoulder.

"Oh, Casey..." She choked out and had to tear her eyes away from the photo as she handed it back to Ben.

"I can't leave her, Karma." Ben spoke softly with anger and desperation underlining his tone.

"I know." She said, her eyes meeting his as she ignored the tinge of jealousy in her stomach. "But what will the Colonel say?"

"Nothing, because we're not telling him."

"But, Ben..."

"He doesn't need to know. It's better that we don't involve him in this."

"But I think he would help, especially after seeing that photo..."

"That's exactly why we can't tell him, Karma. Our jobs are on the line by doing this and I'm not about to bring the Colonel down with us."

"What about Derek?"

"We need to find him." He said as he began to sit up and pulled the blanket off of his body.

"Ben," Karma gasped, "you're in no condition to even move right now, let alone go on a mission!"

He glared back at her as he swung his legs over the bed, wincing from the pain in his side, "I'll be fine. Just try calling Derek while I find a change of clothes."

She sighed, knowing there was no talking him out of this as she nodded and walked out of the room already dialling Casey's house number, hoping that Derek was there and would pick up.

(=)

Casey's Apartment

4:39 PM

Derek paced the living room floor, back and forth, back and forth, with the small black phone in his hand, praying to God that it would ring. He ran a hand through his messy hair for the hundredth time as he let out a frustrated groan.

"Come on already... Call me!"

He jerked in surprise as the small black cell came to life and hastily pressed the talk button and placed it against his ear, "Hello?"

"Are you ready to listen to me now, Mr. Venturi?" The man's voice spoke on the other end, sending a chill to run down Derek's spine.

Before Derek could reply, Casey's home phone began ringing. Derek glanced at it but then chose to ignore it as he turned away and spoke into the receiver.

"Yes."

* * *

><p><strong>That was interesting... They're all going to save Casey but Derek is with Phil and Ben and Karma are betraying the Agency! Dun dun dun... (that's dramatic music if you didn't know...) ;)<strong>

**Please, please, let me know what you thought of this chapter and just the whole story over all. It will make the start of my new year even better! **

**You guys seriously Rock! Keep it up! **

**Thanks for supporting my passion for writing. :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Wooo! I finished this all in one night! So proud of myself! I was having problems all week because I didn't know how I wanted to start it but I finally just forced myself to sit down on my day off and let me fingers type away. **

**I want to thank LeanaPlumz for helping me out with Geography stuff! Haha! You are Awesome! **

**A bit of a warning though... There is a part near the ending that people with weak stomachs might not like... It's kind of weird and creepy... but hopefully it doesn't gross you out too much.**

**Anyway... Enjoy this Chapter!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 27<strong>

R.E.D. Headquarters

5:17 PM

Karma managed to convince Ben to stay in the medical facility until she could figure out a way to get Nicolas Walls out of the Agency's protective guard. She's rather have him resting in bed since he wouldn't be doing much of that after they snuck him and out and went after Casey.

She couldn't understand why Derek hadn't answered the phone when she tired calling, seven times to be exact. Where could he be? She knew he was angry and concerned for his stepsister... Would he really do something as insane as going after Casey on his own?

_That's impossible. He doesn't even know where she is. _Karma convinced herself but the uneasy feeling in her gut told her otherwise.

"Agent Hesston, how is Agent Blake doing?" Reidel Forman, one of the secretaries that monitored all of the Agency files smiled at her as Karma approached her desk.

"He's in a lot of pain but he'll pull through." Karma forced a smile at the middle aged woman.

"I am deeply sorry to hear about the incident in Germany," Reidel smiled sadly. "Agent McDonald was a magnificent spy and a genuine person."

"She _still_ is." Karma frowned at the woman. _How dare she talk about Casey like she's already dead!_

"Of course." The woman nodded in remorse at her poor choice of words. "Was there something I could do for you, Agent Hesston?"

"Yes, I was wondering if you have the address to the location where R.E.D. is keeping Nicolas Walls. I seemed to have misplaced the information due to all the pressure the day has brought on." Karma lied.

"Oh... I was told it was classified information. No one but the Colonel is supposed to know."

"Yes, but since I was the one that saved the man's life and brought him here, Colonel Kluess thought it would comfort Mr. Walls to see a familiar face while he was kept under protection. The poor man's been under quite the ordeal in the past two days."

Reidel nodded in understanding as she searched through the files on her computer screen, "That does make sense but I'm afraid I have no record of Colonel Kluess specifying that."

"Maybe he just forgot to mention it, considering he's just lost one of his best agents."

Reidel sighed, "Kluess was very fond of Agent McDonald... I guess I can give you the address. Just let me find it for you."

Karma inwardly cheered for herself. _I guess my training in lying has paid off._

"Here you go, dear." Reidel said as she handed the young agent a printed off paper with the address to Nicolas Walls' location.

"Thank you so much." Karma smiled at her and gave a quick wave before walking back towards the elevator.

She took out her cell and sent a quick text to Ben: **Mission = Success**.

Ben replied instantly: **Great job. Now we just need to contact Derek.**

** Maybe we should stop by Casey's place on our way to get Walls... **Karma texted back. **He hasn't answered any of my calls.**

** Good idea. Now get me out of here before I lose my mind.**

Karma chuckled at his last text before telling him she was on her way. The man was crazy for not wanting to stay in the hospital so that his injuries could heal properly, but she knew there was no way he would let her save Casey without him. She would definitely make sure to confiscate some pain killers on their way out of the medical facility. He may try to mask it but Benjamin Blake was going to be in a lot of pain these next few days.

(=)

Casey's Apartment

6:59 PM

Ben repeatedly knocked on the door to Casey's place but there was no answer.

"Where do you think he is?" Karma asked from beside him with a look of worry etched on her face.

"I don't know." He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Do you think something happened to him? He was really upset when he left the office earlier."

"Maybe he's just asleep... You did say he wasn't sleeping, right?" Ben offered with a shrug as he pulled out a key chain from his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Karma asked as she watched him press the button on one of the key chains that was in the shape of a car and aim it at the door handle.

"Another one of Marz's inventions." He grinned at her as a tiny blue beam shot out from the hood of the car and the door clicked open.

"How did you do that?" Karma asked in amazement.

"I have no idea how but the man is a genius."

As Ben placed his hand on the door to push it open, an alarm suddenly sounded and a red light lit up the doorway.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!" Chip's voice sounded throughout the apartment, startling both agents as they entered the space and closed the door behind them.

"Chip, its Agents Blake and Hesston!" Ben shouted to the security system. "Disable yourself!"

The alarm turned off as the red beam scanned them and Chip's voice spoke in a clam manner, "Good evening, Agent Blake and Agent Hesston. Welcome to Agent McDonald's apartment."

Ben let out an aggravated sigh as Karma smirked.

"Hello, Chip." Karma replied to the computer.

"Chip, where is Derek?" Ben asked.

"Mr. Venturi left the premises at 5:32 PM."

"Did he say where he was going?"

"Negative, Agent Blake."

"Why did you let him leave?" Ben groaned in frustration. "He's supposed to be under lockdown unless one of us gives permission for him to set foot out the door."

"I am ashamed to admit that Mr. Ventui figured out how to hack into my system." The computer replied.

"How could he do that? Derek doesn't have computer skills! I read it in his file!" Karma exclaimed in confusion.

Ben looked at her with a raised brow, "You read Derek's file?"

The young blonde blushed, "I was curious about him..."

"Do you like him or something?" Ben asked and Karma noticed a flash of something in his eyes before it quickly disappeared.

_Is Ben jealous? _Karma wondered as her heart rate picked up speed at the thought.

"No, I don't like Derek." She sighed, averting her gaze from him. "Besides, I wouldn't do that to Casey. She's my friend."

"Do what to her?"

Karma gave him an incredulous look, "You know _what_, Ben." She spoke through narrowed eyes.

Ben frowned as he turned away from her with no comment and continued his interrogation on the security system.

"What was Derek doing before he left? Did he talk to anyone?"

"Affirmative. Mr. Venturi was on the phone but my system could not intercept the call. Something was blocking the signal from reaching me. Whoever it was, they knew I would be listening."

Ben was stumped for words. Who else would know that Chip was installed into Casey's apartment? And know how to hack into his system? The only other person was Mason Marz but Ben knew he wouldn't do that.

"Ben, I have a bad feeling about this..." Karma spoke with wary eyes.

Ben shook his head as he met her gaze with a serious one, "I'm sorry, Karma, but there is nothing we can do for Derek right now. We need to go get Walls before the Agency figures out what we're doing."

Karma nodded sadly, "I know; I just hope Derek is okay."

"Me too."

(=)

Toronto Airport

7:23 PM

Derek sat impatiently waiting at the airport bar where Phillip Greenwood said he'd meet him. He didn't bother ordering a drink, no matter how sick to his gut he felt about this whole thing.

_How do I know I can really trust this guy? _He wondered with a sigh as he let his head fall into his hands that were resting on the top of the counter. _All I can think about is Casey right now. He said he knows where she is, so I really have no other choice but to trust him. It's my only chance at getting her back. I'll do anything to hold her safe in my arms again._

"Mr. Venturi." A voice spoke from behind him and Derek spun around to see a tall man wearing a baseball cap on top of his head and sunglasses over his eyes. He seemed to be in his late forties/early fifties with greying black hair peeking out beneath the hat.

"Phillip Greenwood, I presume?" Derek asked with a raised brow as the man took a seat next to him.

"Just call me Phil." The man replied, glancing at their surroundings warily.

"You hiding something?" Derek asked.

"You wouldn't understand."

"If you expect me to trust you, then I expect some honest answers. Like: how do you know Casey?"

Phil let out a sigh as he quickly ordered a drink from the bartender and stared down at his hands, "I've known Casey for years; since she first started her career at R.E.D."

"How come, when I tried looking you up on her computer it said that you were dead?"

Phil let out a chuckle, "Do I look dead to you?"

"How would I know? I don't even know you."

"Touché."

"How come no one's mentioned you before?"

The bartender handed Phil his glass and the mysterious man took a sip from it, cringing from the bitter taste as it burned his throat going down.

"Let's just say that R.E.D. and I had a falling out many years ago." He replied, finishing off the glass.

Derek knew he wasn't going to get any straight answers from him as stared at the man suspiciously, "Are you going to tell me where Casey is?"

"As long as you realize that I'm coming with you."

"Fine, I'll need all the help I can get anyway."

"Good. Our plane leaves in an hour, so let's get moving."

"Where is the plane taking us?" Derek asked as Phil stood up, set some money on the counter, and grabbed his bag.

"You'll see."

(=)

R.E.D. Protective Custody House

West side Toronto

8:07 PM

"You stay here while I go get him." Karma instructed Ben as she parked the car a block away from the house they were keeping Nicolas Walls under watch and turned off the ignition.

"You can't go in there alone; I'm coming with you." Ben shook his head and unbuckled his seatbelt.

"No, Ben, you're staying here." She glared at him. "I'll be fine on my own."

"I am fully capable of taking those guys out if I have to." He glared right back at her. "And besides, who's the one training under whose wing?" He raised a cocky brow at her.

"Well technically, Casey's my handler and you're her assistant."

Ben rolled his eyes, "Karma, just because I'm a little banged up, doesn't mean I can't take care of myself."

The young blonde gave him a sympathetic look, "I know, Ben, but I'd rather you stay in here and rest. You'll have plenty of time to take down bad guys when we reach Casey. For now, it would be a lot quicker if I go in alone and retrieve Walls myself."

Ben let out a sigh and sat back in his seat, "Fine... but be careful." He instructed her as she got out of the car.

"I will be." She smiled at his concern before closing the door, making sure the tranquillizer gun was tucked safely at her side and began making her way towards the holding house.

As she crept up the steps of the place, no one seemed to notice her presence. She cautiously glanced around the area with her gun in her hands and pressed her finger to the doorknob. Inhaling a quick, shaky breath, Karma positioned herself against the side of the door and waited for one of the body guards to open it.

The realization of what she was about to do flashed through her mind. _There's no turning back once the first shot is fired... _She told herself. _I'm about to betray the Agency that I've worked so hard at trying to become a part of these last few years... But I'm doing it for Casey. _She told herself with a determined nod.

The door opened to reveal a large man in jeans and a sweater. He held his gun at his side and peered outside. Karma exhaled the breath she'd been holding and knew it was now or never. She quickly fired a shot into the man's neck before he could even get a look at her and he was down in an instant.

She stepped over the man's unconscious body in the doorway and entered the house.

"Who was at the door?" A voice asked from around the corner. A tall female agent emerged and Karma shot her in the chest as she reached for her weapon.

"I'm sorry." Karma whispered.

The young blonde began making her way around the house in search of Nicolas Walls. She knew there were no more agents guarding him because the Agency usually only sent two at a time unless the person was a much higher security risk.

"Mr. Walls?" Karma called out. "It's Agent Hesston. I mean you no harm."

"W... what do you want with me?" The German scientist asked as he peeked at her from behind the couch in the living room.

"I need your help. My friend was kidnapped by the same men who tried to hurt you and we need to get her back."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"We know where she is but..."

He cut her off as he stood up with a knowing frown upon his face, "but the only way you can get her back is if you trade me for her. Correct?"

Karma sighed, "Yes, but I promise, we won't let them harm you. We have a plan."

"I don't know what those men want with my device but I know it isn't good." He said as he started walking towards her while adjusting the glasses perched upon his nose. "Are you sure you want to risk the chance of them getting a hold of NicoTech, all because of one woman?"

Karma hesitated for a moment. She understood what he was implying but she also knew that they couldn't just leave Casey in the hands of Haldega either.

"Yes." She nodded firmly at the man and grabbed his wrist. "Now, let's go."

Once they'd worked together to lug the male agent into the house and away from the open doorway, Karma and Nicolas made it back to the car in one piece.

"How'd it go?" Ben asked as Karma situated herself behind the wheel and Walls got into the backseat.

"I feel guilty for taking out my fellow agents but I know it had to be done." She admitted while starting the engine.

"You did well, Rainforest. I'm proud of you." Ben smiled at her, causing the young blonde to blush as she forced her gaze out the windshield and away from him.

"So where exactly is your friend being held captive?" Nicolas asked from the back.

"Casey's in Russia." Ben replied as the vehicle jumped to life and Karma pulled away from the street, in the direction of the airport.

(=)

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

4:17 PM – Russian Time

"Get up." Kraemin's gruff voice commanded as he stood at the door to Casey's cell and opened it with the key.

"What do you want?" Casey snapped at him as she continued sitting in her place against the wall.

"Haldega wants to see you, so get up now or I'll make you get up." He snarled at her.

"You really think you intimidate me?" She scowled at the ugly goon.

Kraemin growled at her as he stepped inside her cell and gripped her by the arm, "Get up!"

Casey winced from the pain as he forced her to her feet and began dragging her out of the small enclosure. She tried wriggling free from his grasp but it only made him clutch harder.

Again, she cursed the weakness that had taken over her body. A few days ago, Casey would have been able to manoeuvre herself so that she could pull free from the monster and flip him onto his back, but the constant pain in her shoulder and neck, prevented her from doing so, and not to mention the lack of nutrition in her system as well. Instead, she let the ugly goon pull her along through the dimly lit corridor where Haldega awaited her company somewhere in the creepy building.

"What is this place?" Casey asked, letting her eyes wander around the ancient looking walls and ceilings.

"It's an abandoned prison from the eighteenth century."

"Is it even safe to be in here?"

"What, you afraid of it being haunted?" Kraemin chuckled.

"No," Casey glared at him. "I'm afraid of the structure giving out on us."

"No need to worry your pretty little spy head. We've been here for months and nothing's happened." He said with a wink her way.

Casey wanted to vomit.

They stopped walking once they'd entered through an archway where Haldega stood in the middle of a large room, which appeared to be their base of operations due to the various lab equipment set up and men working at the stations.

"Ah, Agent McDonald." Haldega grinned her way when he noticed her entrance. "How is your shoulder?"

Casey scowled at the evil man, "Like you even care, considering you're the scum who shot it!" She snapped.

"Would you have rather we left it unattended to?" He narrowed his eyes her way.

She chose not to reply as he made his way towards her.

"What do you think of the place?" He asked, gesturing around the room.

"Where did you take me? I demand to know."

"Well since you're the prisoner... you don't get to demand anything." He smiled at her and began walking towards one of the work stations.

"Do you recognize this?" Haldega questioned as he held up a vial of clear liquid.

Casey's eye lit up in recognition. It was the same formula from the pictures that Phil had given to her. Instead of telling him that, however, she chose to lie.

"No. Should I?"

"Well... it used to be known as _Potion X_." He grinned evilly. "But with a few modifications, it is now known as the Potion that will lead to my evil demise."

"What do you plan to do with it?"

"Would you like a demonstration?" He sneered.

"No." Casey shook her head. "I'd rather you quit this nonsense and turn yourself in."

He laughed at her, "Since that is obviously not happening, we'll go with the demonstration instead."

Haldega picked up a glass of what appeared to be water from the counter and poured the contents from the vial into it, he then moved towards Casey causing the agent to back up into Kraemin whom continued to grip her arm painfully.

The evil man laughed at the fear etched on her face and then turned away from her and called out into the hallway behind them, "Bring him in!"

Immediately a filthy clothed middle aged man was brought into the room by two of Haldega's henchmen. He was squirming and trying to get free of their hold while his hands were bound and a blindfold covered his eyes.

"This man was found snooping around my prison," Haldega said with a look of disgust, "probably a vagabond looking for a place to sleep."

"What are you going to do?" Casey asked hesitantly, already knowing the answer.

"I'm going to give him some water. The poor soul is probably parched from being kept in a jail cell for three days." Haldega replied innocently as he took a step towards the man and ripped off his blindfold.

"Haldega, don't do it!" Casey cried. "Just let him go! He did nothing wrong!"

The poor man began crying out in another language, begging for his life. Casey recognized his words immediately and knew where she was.

_They brought me to Russia! _

"Would you like some water?" Haldega asked the man in Russian while raising the cup in front of him and the beggar nodded eagerly.

"Nyet!" Casey cried out to the man. "Не слушайте ему!" Which meant: Don't listen to him.

"Shut her up!" Haldega commanded to Kraemin and a big beefy hand was clasped over her mouth while she struggled to scream.

The Russian stared at Casey with wide, terrified eyes and then back at the water being held out to him. Haldega smiled at him and reassured him that it was fine to take a sip.

He took one last glance at Casey before licking his dry lips, taking the glass of water into his own hands and gulping down the beverage with a satisfied sigh.

Haldega winked at Casey as she stopped her struggles and watched in horror as the man suddenly fell to his knees, gasping for air. A white pasty-like substance began emerging from his mouth and crept slowly up his face, covering his nose, then his panic stricken eyes, and finally managed to sheath the entirety of his face. No longer able to breathe, the Russian collapsed to the floor, dead.

"Amazing isn't it?" Haldega grinned back at the R.E.D. agent who was still trying to comprehend what she'd just witnessed take place before her very eyes. "Once your friends bring me Nicolas Walls and his NicoTech device, I will be able to create many more vials of this special formula and set it free to cause havoc among the world's population."

Casey's eyes widened at his revelation. The man was insane!

She felt Kraemin remove his hand from her mouth and instantly began screaming at the evil man before her, "You will not get away with this, Haldega! I will stop you, you'll see!"

"Take her back to her cell; it shouldn't be too much longer before her friends come looking for her." Haldega said, ignoring her threats. He sent one last sneer her way before the taller man began dragging Casey back through the ancient halls.

"You're insane!" She cried over her shoulder while being lead away.

"And you're doomed, Agent McDonald." He shouted back with a grin. "You and your friends will die along with the rest of the world soon enough."

She could hear his evil cackle echo off the walls and a shiver went up her spine as she prayed that Ben and Karma really weren't bringing Nicolas Walls here. If they did, the world would cease to exist. She'd rather give her own life than have millions taken.

_Please, God, don't let them come here for me..._

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah... so there you go... I hope that part with the guy's face didn't disturb you too much... <strong>

**Thanks so much for the Reviews! I always enjoy them and appreciate them very much! Please keep doing it because it honestly gives me a boost in updating faster and with my confidence as well. **

**I hope you have a great week and I will update very soon. :)**


	28. Chapter 28

**"Holy long time without an update, Batman!" Lol! It's funny because my name is Robin... ;)**

**Seriously though, I am so sorry it took so long for chapter 28 to get uploaded... I apologize! **

**Thanks for all the wonderful reviews and for continuing to read my story. It means a lot to me! **

**I want to thank Leanaplumz again for being such a great friend and helping me figure out where I wanted to go with this chapter. Without her, I don't know how this chap would've turned out... You Rock my socks like no one ever has! **

**Ok, now I hope you enjoy this chapter. You have a good mix of present timeline and past. :D**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 28<strong>

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

7:28 PM

Casey paced the concrete floor of the ancient 4x4 cell with her hands running through her tangled and grimy hair constantly. The image of that poor Russian man was still embedded in her mind and she couldn't escape it.

_How does something like that even happen? _She wondered with a grimace.

If what Haldega said about her friends being on their way with Nicolas Walls was true, then that meant he'd somehow contacted them and knew they wouldn't be able to leave her behind, so he'd offered a trade instead. Knowing Haldega however, Casey highly doubted he would just let them walk away even if they handed over the German scientist. This man was pure evil and unless Casey figured out a way to get free, she knew he would kill her himself.

She still couldn't get over the fact that Haldega had been a part of _Potion X_ four years ago. How did he manage to stay under their radar? She thought they'd put a stop to that deadly infection years ago and now here it was, deadlier than ever.

_I obviously escaped his clutches once before, so I can do it again. _Casey convinced herself as she stood in the middle of the room. She suddenly winced from the pain in her body and let out a defeated sigh. _Except, back then I wasn't in so much pain and I had my partner by my side... _

Her thoughts drifted to Ben and she realized that he had to be alive. There was no way that Karma would be able to bring Nicolas Walls on her own and Haldgea would've gone to Ben with the offer, not Karma, which mean one thing...

_Ben is alive! _She grinned widely.

Then another thought occurred to her. _Will Derek be with them as well? _Her heart beat sped up as she pondered that question. _There's no way that he would've sat back and let them come after me alone. _Her eyes widened with fear. _But this is too dangerous for Derek! Haldega already has plans to kill him and now they're bringing him right into his snare! Oh Derek..._

With a new determination, Casey sucked in a breath and marched towards the rusted bars fencing her in and gripped them in her hands.

_I have to get out of here before Haldega realizes who Derek is!_

(=)

_Four Years Ago_

_Location unknown_

_Time Unknown_

"_How long do you think we've been in here?" Casey asked from where she sat perched against the cold brick wall with her knees pulled up to her chest. _

_ Ben let out a sigh as he slammed his palm against the thick door adjacent to him with a loud _smack_._

_ "I don't know but I'm getting tired of waiting around. If they plan to kill us, then I wish they'd just get it over with!"_

_ "Ben!" Casey snapped at him with a frown. "You can't just give up!"_

_ Her partner whirled around to face her with an incredulous scowl gracing his handsome features, "I'm not giving up, Casey... I just..." His shoulders sagged as he dropped his head with a deep sigh of remorse. "I'm sorry." He said when his emerald eyes made contact with her sapphire blues. "I stayed up all night trying to think of some way that we could escape, but I've got nothing. We're alone in this. There is no one out there waiting to hear back from us because we're the only ones left in R.E.D."_

_ "You say it as if they're dead." Casey glared at him as she slowly got to her feet and took a step towards him. "They're still alive, Ben, and we're going to find a way out of here and get that antidote back; just like you said."_

_ Benjamin ran a hand through his messy blonde locks and started pacing the cement floor beneath them. The bags under his eyes were proof that he hadn't slept a wink the night before. Even Casey had only gotten a couple hours of shut eye due to the lack of comfort, warmth, and safety that surrounded them. She wasn't even sure if it had been night when they'd fallen asleep... Their time table was really jumbled at the moment. _

_ Ben finally stopped pacing and turned to look at her, "I really am sorry, Casey. This whole thing is just starting to get to me. Being locked up is definitely not one of my strong suits. I tend to lose my mind."_

_ "Well you better find it again because I can't do this without you."_

_ He nodded his head as he rested his arm against the door and let his head fall onto his bicep with another sigh. Suddenly his head perked up and he pressed his ear against the metal trapping them in. _

_ "What are you do..."_

_ "Sshhh!" Ben hissed at her and indicated towards the door. "I don't hear anything."_

_ "So...?"_

_ "So... for the past few hours, I could hear the muffled voices of the two guards keeping watch outside but now I hear nothing. They're not there."_

_ "They're probably on a break." Casey shrugged. "What does it matter?"_

_ He ran another hand through his hair and made his 'thinking face' as Casey liked to call it. _

_ "If we're locked in here, why do they need to have the door guarded?" Ben asked with a forefinger tapping against his chin._

_ "More insurance?" The young agent shrugged with a guess, not sure what her partner was getting at._

_ "Did you hear a lock click when Carlson made his last visit?"_

_ Casey's eyes widened in realization, "No, I didn't." _

_ A wry grin made its way across Ben's mouth as he approached the door and gripped the handle. He looked back at her with hesitance, praying that they weren't setting themselves up for false hope and then his hand slowly began to twist the latch and the door squealed open._

_ "I can't believe we didn't think of this sooner." Casey whispered in awe as she looked back at her partner who was peeking out into the freedom awaiting them._

_ "Let's go before those guards return." Ben said, motioning for her to follow him as he eased the door open and they slipped through, making sure to close it behind them._

_ "Which way do we go?" Casey asked, surveying their surroundings._

_ They were in some kind of underground structure. Cement walls ran along the dimly lit hall and they could just make out two tunnels leading in opposite directions at the end of it. _

_ "Eni, mini, myni, moe...?" Ben glanced at her with a smirk. _

_ Casey rolled her eyes and began approaching the tunnel on the right. She dropped to her knee and inspected the ground. She then got up and made her way towards the other tunnel and did the same thing while her partner gave her a curious raised brow._

_ "Do you want to take the tunnel with less footprints or the one with more?" The blue eyed agent asked as she folded her arms across her chest. _

_ "I'd say, our safest bet would be the road less travelled."_

_ "Then the tunnel on the right it is." Casey nodded and began to make her way towards the passage. "Let's just hope we don't get lost."_

_ "Casey, I have photographic memory; remember?" Ben grinned as he tapped the side of his head. "We won't get lost."_

(=)

_An hour and a half later_

"_We're definitely lost." Ben sighed with a shake of his head as he glanced back at the dark tunnel behind them. _

_ "Great going, Mr. Photographic memory." Casey hissed with sarcasm as she glared at her partner. "Now what are we supposed to do?"_

_ "I didn't know these tunnels would be so complex..." Her partner shrugged. "I guess we should just keep walking straight ahead."_

_ "Maybe we should head down that other tunnel we saw a few feet back?" Casey suggested._

_ "That was like thirty minutes ago." _

_ "And your point is?"_

_ "My gut is telling me that we should continue down this path."_

_ "Yeah, well hopefully your gut doesn't get us caught." Casey grumbled under her breath as Ben began leading the way down the tunnel again._

(=)

_Two and a half hours later_

_The secret agent duo let out equal breaths of relief when they finally managed to spot a pair of stairs leading up out of the shadowed passageways. _

_ "I wonder where those lead...?" Ben grinned back at Casey as he quickened his exhausted pace and reached the first step._

_ "Ben, be careful. We need to ascend them cautiously." Casey whispered harshly. "What if a couple bad guys happen to be walking down as we're walking up? There will be no where to run."_

_ "Then I hope you've got your dancing shoes on because we'll be fighting them." He winked at her and took another step up._

_ Casey let out a sigh and didn't even bother responding as they both began to climb the cement stairs one at a time, while keeping their ears alert for any trouble they might encounter._

_ "What do you think this place is anyway?" Ben whispered after a few minutes of silence._

_ "I don't know but I just want to get out of it already." _

_ "How much water do we have left?" He asked, indicating to the bottle of liquid in her left hand._

_ Casey glanced down at the bottle with a frown, "Maybe a couple more sips each."_

_ "Man, I'm thirsty." Ben moaned._

_ "I know but we need to save it for an emergency." Casey advised, dropping her hand with the bottle back to her side._

_ "Maybe we'll stumble upon the kitchen and can take all the food and water we want." He grinned at her with a dreamy sigh. _

_ "That's exactly something Derek would say." Casey chuckled with a smile and a shake of the head. _

_ Ben stopped on the step above her and Casey ended up with his butt in her face. _

_ "Uh, do you mind?" She raised her voice as she took a step back. _

_ "Sorry." Her partner mumbled before moving again._

_ "What was that about? Did you hear something?"_

_ "No. It was nothing."_

_ "Ok..."_

_ "You know, Derek is probably worried sick about you right now." Ben suddenly spoke and Casey thought she detected a bit of animosity in his voice._

_ "I doubt it." She scoffed. "He probably hasn't even realized I'm gone."_

_ "Isn't this the same guy who called you in France because he didn't know where you were?" Ben looked back at her with a raised brow._

_ "So...?" Casey shrugged. "What's your point?"_

_ The male secret agent let out a sigh as he turned back around, "Never mind."_

_ Casey was about to retort when they suddenly hit the top step and stood in another hallway extending to the left; this one was a bit more well lit than the tunnels below._

_ Ben started jogging down the corridor when he noticed a door ahead of them on the right. He stopped in front of it and pressed his ear against the cold metal. _

_ "Anything?" Casey asked from behind him while glancing warily in each direction. _

_ He shook his head and twisted the handle, causing it to squeak open and eliciting a nervous grimace from both agents._

_ Ben found a light switch on the wall beside them and flicked it on; the room immediately lit up showcasing at least a dozen or so crates filled with tiny vials containing what they guessed to be the dreaded _Potion X.

_"Be careful!" Casey hissed as Ben approached one of the crates and examined the virus inside._

_ "Don't worry; they're sealed shut."_

_ "How many more do you think they have of these?" Casey asked from where she stood with her back against the wall._

_ "I don't know... and honestly, I'd prefer not to know."_

_ "We should keep moving." The young agent advised as she glanced out the doorway to make sure the coast was clear. "We're looking for the opposite of those anyway."_

_ Ben nodded and started to make his way out the door but stopped and turned back around. He carefully picked up two vials of the red potion and gripped them in his hand before continuing out the door and turning off the light._

_ As they carried on through the narrow hallway after passing by a couple more rooms containing the same scene, Casey came to a halt in front of Ben when she heard voices approaching them and saw two men with guns headed their way._

_ "Crap!" She cursed under her breath and glanced back at her partner who had an equally alarmed face. _

_ "There's nowhere to hide." Ben stated with a grim expression. _

_ "Let's just hope it's only the two of them then." Casey said as she dropped the water bottle to the ground and clenched her fists. _

_ The men hadn't noticed them yet, which gave them the advantage as the duo leaped into action and started running towards their enemies at full pace._

_ "Wha..." One of the men started to say with wide eyes before Casey jumped up and kicked him in the side. He lost the grip on his gun from the unexpected blow and the weapon clattered to the ground, the sound echoing off the stone walls._

_ Ben took on the other guard with an upper cut to his jaw and a right jab into his gut. This guard managed to keep his grip on the gun, however, and held onto it while throwing a punch back at Benjamin's face. _

_ Casey ducked from her attackers fists and spun around, using the wall as support as she jumped off of it with her right foot and sent a hard hit to the man's face with her fist. He fell to the floor with a cry of pain as blood began gushing from his now broken nose._

_ "Casey!" Ben shouted just as she turned around to see the other guard pointing his gun at her head._

_ "Don't move, or I pull the trigger and your girlfriend dies." The man sneered through a bloody lip._

_ "I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ben said as he reached into his back pocket and pulled out the two vials of Potion X that he'd confiscated from the room fifteen minutes back._

_ The man's eyes widened when he registered what the secret agent was holding._

_ "Where did you get those?" He snapped and Ben could hear the fear in his voice._

_ "Drop your gun and step away from my partner or I will drop this vial and we'll all be infected."_

_ "You wouldn't do that." He growled and pressed the gun further into Casey's head as she winced in pain._

_ "I have nothing to lose. You and your people weren't planning on letting us get of here alive anyway." Ben shrugged, challenging the man with narrowed eyes. "Now let go of her and drop your gun." He gritted through his teeth as he began twisting the cap on one of the vials._

_ Sweat began to trickle down the man's forehead as he stared at the threatening substance about to be exposed and just before Ben was about to fully twist the cap off; he shoved Casey away from him and raised his hands in surrender._

_ "Alright, alright! I let her go, now put that thing away!"_

_ "Drop your gun."_

_ He dropped the heavy metal towards the ground with a loud _clack _and kicked it away from him as he stared at Ben with pleading eyes._

_ "I want both of you against the wall." Ben said as he picked up one of the discarded guns and pointed it at the two men. _

_ The man on the floor got to his feet, still clutching his bleeding nose and glaring at Casey as he stepped beside his partner and they placed their backs to the wall. _

_ "Don't shoot. We won't cause you any trouble." The other guy said with his hands raised in the air._

_ "Tell us where we can find the antidote for Potion X." Casey demanded as she picked up the second gun from the floor. _

_ "We won't know!" Broken nose guy snapped._

_ "I don't believe you." _

_ "Tell us what we want to know!" Ben shouted as he shoved the gun against the other guard's chest._

_ "We're telling you the truth," he growled at the secret agent. "The only ones that know that kind of information are among the leaders. We're just the workers. We only do what they tell us, no questions asked."_

_ "Do you even realize what they're doing to people?" Casey exclaimed with anger._

_ Broken nose guy shrugged with a sneer, "It's not like they're killing them. Plus we get paid double the amount that any secret agency pays and even more once their plan succeeds."_

_ Casey couldn't believe what she was hearing. These men cared more about the money they were making than the multiple lives that they were harming. Money really was the root of all evil. _

_ "You're despicable." She glowered at the men in disgust. _

_ "At least we make more money than you, baby." He arched his brows suggestively and winked._

_ "Not anymore because we're closing down this operation once and for all."_

_ "You and what army?" He laughed out loud. "As I seem to recall, you two are the only agents remaining from R.E.D. and soon to be the only agents in the world."_

_ "What?" Casey's eyes widened._

_ The other guard shoved his partner with a glare and hissed at him to keep his mouth shut._

_ "I thought you didn't know anything?" Ben smirked._

_ "We don't." _

_ "Tell me what you know or I will throw you into the room down the hall and remove the lid from the vial of Potion X." He threatened the man as he pulled the tiny vial from his pocket and held it up to the man's face._

_ The guard stared at the red liquid encased in the glass with horror stricken eyes. He'd seen what that stuff did to a person and he did not want to experience it, so he let out a groan and spoke, "All we know is that they want to get rid of every secret agency in the world and they've almost succeeded. Only a few countries remain to be hit by the infection and then the leaders will be in control."_

_ "What exactly are they planning? Who are these so-called 'leaders'?"_

_ The man shook his head, "That's seriously all I know. I swear!"_

_ Ben stared into the man's dark hazel eyes and knew he was telling the truth. He let out a groan and took a step back while meeting his partner's gaze._

_ "What should we do with them?" Casey asked, gesturing to the two men with the gun in her hand._

_ "We'll lock them in the other room we just passed." Ben replied and turned back to the guards. "You have keys, right?"_

_ They nodded hesitantly, "Yes... but you're not really going to release the poison on us are you?" _

_ "Only if you don't cooperate; now get moving." Ben ordered and gestured down the hall with his gun. _

_ The men did as they were told and Ben led them to one of the rooms containing crates of Potion X. He took their keys and ordered them to take off their shirts and to sit against the far wall._

_ "Now tell us how to get out of this maze." Ben said as he handed one of the guard shirts to Casey and she began pulling it on over top of her own clothes while tucking the gun into the back of her denims._

_ The guards didn't reply as they stared down at the floor._

_ "There is a whole room here full of Potion X. If you don't answer me, I will knock over one of those crates right now..." Ben started to say, gesturing with wide arms around the enclosure._

_ Broken nose spoke up quickly with a frown, "Continue down the hall until you reach a T, then go left. It will lead you out a back door and into the forest."_

_ "Where does the other hall lead to?" Casey asked._

_ "The lab." The other man spoke. "If you go that way then you're sure to get caught."_

_ "You were a lot of help, guys." Ben smirked as he and Casey made their way to the exit. "I hope you'll realize what a huge mistake you've made in choosing the wrong side."_

_ "You're the ones on the losing side, and soon you will see that." Broken nose spat with a fierce scowl. _

_ Ben just shook his head and ushered his partner out the door, then he closed it and locked it with the guard's keys that he'd confiscated. _

_ "You ready to get out of here?" He arched a brow at the young woman at is side while he put on the other guard shirt over his clothes. _

_ Casey didn't reply because she knew that they couldn't just leave yet, not when they were so close to getting the antidote and saving the rest of their colleagues and friends... This was the only chance they had... _

_ "Let's go, Bluebird." Benjamin Blake said as he grabbed her arm, forcing her to break from her thoughts, and began leading the way down the hallway, towards their determined fate, whether they chose to go left or right. _

(=)

Present Day

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

11:42 PM

"How did you know where this place was?" Derek asked the mysterious man named Phillip Greenwood as they stood out of sight behind an abandoned shack and stared up at the ancient looking structure with awe.

Amidst the starry night sky, the abandoned prison stood tall and stretched across half the land they were standing on. It would be like finding a needle in a hay stack once they started searching for Casey inside, but even after travelling across Russia for a day and half, Derek knew that he would do whatever it took to get Casey back in his arms again.

"I have my ways." Phil replied as he wiped the sweat forming on his brow.

"So how exactly do you propose we get into the place, oh mysterious one?" Derek mocked. "There are at least a dozen men with guns patrolling these grounds, and unless you have some sort of invisibility cloak hidden under your hat, we're not getting past them."

"Oh ye of little faith." Phil tsked with his tongue as a grin spread across his face.

Just then they heard a commotion across the yard as guards began shouting and running towards the front of the building.

"What's going on?" Derek asked with wide eyes.

"Does it matter? We've just been given our opening, so get moving!" Phil hissed urgently and began running out of their hiding spot with a terrified hockey player on his tail.

(=)

Present Day

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

11:42 PM

"Are you sure there isn't another way we could do this?" Karma asked hesitantly as she stared up at the Old Russian prison that caused a shiver to run down her spine.

"I wish there was, Kar, but if we want to get into this place, the only way is to go right through the front door." Ben replied and Karma couldn't help but smile at the nickname he'd unintentionally given her.

"You promise to keep your word and not let them harm me, correct?" Nicolas Walls asked with trepidation lining his thick accent.

"Just stick to the plan and you'll be fine." Ben assured him with a pat on the back.

The German scientist nodded with gulp.

"Let's go get our agent back." Ben said with a grin as he stood up out of the shadows that they'd been hiding amongst with his hands raised in surrender and was immediately met with shouts and cries of protest from the guards as at least six uniformed men started running towards them with guns extended.

"We're here to see Haldega! Don't shoot!"

* * *

><p><strong>INTENSE! <strong>

**Please don't forget to leave a review. Even if you have any suggestions or theories or questions... I'd LOVE to hear from you! **

**On another note... Life is about to get super crazy and exciting for me! My band has finally finished our first full CD and it will be released by the end of this month! I am super stoked but also a bit nervous for what the future brings... It will be interesting that is for sure!**

**Thanks again! I will really, really try to update ASAP! You guys are Awesome! 3**


	29. Chapter 29

**It has been Waaaay too long, I know, and I apologize profusely! I have a bit of a Hamster addiction and she tends to occupy most of my time now... but I'm not complaining. ;)**

**I promise you that I WILL finish this story... EVENTUALLY! (If anyone remembers "The Amanda Show", I hope you got that joke...)**

**Ok, here is the next chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Oh and of course, thank you so much for the Awesome Reviews as always! **

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 29<strong>

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

11:49 PM

"Stay where you are!" One of the guards shouted in a Russian accent.

"Where is Haldega?" Ben demanded to know as the guards formed a circle around the trio with their rifles aimed at their heads.

"State your name!"

"Benjamin Blake from R.E.D. and this is my partner: Karma Hesston." He replied gesturing to the young blonde standing next to him with a wary look upon her face. "We have what Haldega wants, so let us see him."

The guard spoke to one of his comrades in Russian and since both secret agents had studied the language, they knew what he was saying.

"Tell the boss we have his missing ingredient and take the others to be locked up."

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Ben interrupted speaking in their tongue, surprising the men surrounding them. "If we don't go then neither does he."

"Nyet! You will do as we command!" The man in charge barked with a scowl. "Now get moving!" He said as he jabbed the front of the rifle into Ben's sore shoulder, eliciting a grimace from the agent.

"We're not going anywhere until you agree to take us to Haldega!" Ben glared fiercely at the guard as he took a step closer, ignoring the sharp pain going through his arm as the rifle was pressed even deeper.

The man began laughing at him and soon the others joined in.

"You Americans think you are so intimidating. What are you going to do? You are unarmed."

With one swift move, Ben pulled Nicolas Walls in front of him and placed the blade of a knife that was hidden up his sleeve against his throat.

"You were saying?" He grinned at the men whose eyes had grown wide with surprise. "And for your information, we're Canadian."

The head guard's eyes narrowed at him in anger, "You really expect me to believe that you would kill this man? You are a secret agent; you wouldn't betray your guide book."

Ben chuckled, "Me just being here proves that I already have." He then put enough pressure on the knife at the German's throat to cause a trickle of blood to seep out. "Now take me to Haldega or he won't get the "missing ingredient" to his plan."

The guard's eyes followed the blood dripping down the scientist's neck and he knew he had no choice but to give in. If they lost Walls, then Haldega would kill them for sure.

He turned to the rest of the men and barked orders to them in Russian. The men nodded and lowered their guns as they began to lead the two rogue agents and the German scientist into the building, not noticing the quick wink Ben sent Karma's way.

(=)

11:49 PM

"Do you even know where we're going?" Derek asked hesitantly as he reluctantly followed Phillip Greenwood through the dark and narrow halls of the ancient Russian prison. He kept glancing behind him to make sure they hadn't been spotted.

_How does Casey do this for a living? _He wondered with a frown. He honestly still couldn't believe that his nerdy stepsister had become a secret agent. It continued to blow his mind and he had to keep reminding himself that this was _real _life and not some crazy dream.

"Just keep quiet and stay close." Phil whispered from ahead of him as he stopped at a corner and peeked around it.

Derek was confused. The man obviously knew where he was going because not once had he stopped to think about which way to go next, which caused Derek's paranoia and distrust of the mysterious man to rise even more.

_What if this is a trap? _He began to wonder with wide eyes. _What if his intentions to rescue Casey are false and he's really just leading me to the wolves?_

"I'm not on Haldega's side, if that's what you're wondering." Phil suddenly spoke as if he had been listening in on Derek's thoughts.

"How did you...?"

"I was trained to read people well and I could tell what you were thinking just by glancing at you." He said as they continued to walk. "The reason why I know where we're going is because I have a guy on the inside that's been feeding me information for the past few months."

"You said you were trained, so does that mean you're a spy too?"

"I was." He replied with a tight jaw and a remorseful look in his eyes. Derek knew not to question him further.

"So does that friend of yours know where Casey is? Is that where we're going? Has he said anything about her? How is she?" Derek questioned all at once, desperate for answers.

Phil halted in his movements and turned around to face Derek with a serious expression as his gaze settled on him knowingly, "You love her, don't you?"

Derek was caught off guard for a moment as he regained his composure and silently nodded his head.

"Does she know?"

The young hockey player averted his eyes as he let out a sigh, "No."

"I see." Phil nodded before turning back around and walking again.

Derek frowned, "What's that supposed to mean?" He raised his voice and then quickly glanced around worriedly when he realized that they were still trying to sneak around unnoticed.

Phil sighed, "Look, kid, I've known Casey for a long time and I know how her mind works. All I'm saying is tread lightly with these new feelings. She's a sensitive person, especially when it comes to relationships."

Derek glared at the man as anger began to boil in his system and he clenched his fists at his sides, "I know how she is, she's my freaking stepsister for crying out loud. How dare you act like you know anything about her."

"I know a lot more than you think."

"Yeah, well how I feel about her is of no concern of yours, so just back off!" Derek whispered harshly as he jabbed Phillip in the chest.

Phil just raised his hands in mock surrender before taking a step back, "Fine, fine. I was just trying to give you some advice."

"Well I don't need it, so let's just keep moving before we run out of time and someone spots us."

"Whatever you say, Captain." Phil smirked as he turned around and started walking again with a pissed off Venturi on his heel.

(=)

12:16 AM

Casey couldn't help the sly grin from spreading across her lips as she put her plan of escape into motion. While gripping the cell bars in frustration earlier, she realized that from the years of decay and rust building up around them, the metal had become weak, thus allowing her to pry them free from their hold. It wasn't as easy as she'd hoped, however, especially when she only had one arm that really worked. It was taking longer than she wanted, but Casey continued to twist and pull until she had three bars loose and enough room for her to squeeze through.

"This is it." She breathed out with a sigh of exhaustion as she swiped at the perspiration on her brow with her forearm.

Making sure that no one was coming down the hall, Casey hastily slipped through the small opening of the jail cell. She decided to take one of the rusted bars with her in case she needed it to fight and cautiously began to make her way out of the terrible place they'd been keeping her in.

Thoughts of Derek continued to envelop her mind. She wasn't sure what that meant exactly, only that she knew she needed to see him again; even if it meant he was the last image she saw.

(=)

12:17 AM

"Wait here." The Russian guard snapped at the two secret agents once they stopped at a cracked wooden door in the narrow and dimly lit hallway of the historical prison.

"Don't take too long." Ben glared at the man while keeping his grip on the knife against Nicolas Walls' neck in a threatening gesture.

"Keep an eye on them." The guard ordered his men with a scowl and proceeded to enter through the door and slam it behind him.

"Don't overdo it, Ben. You're going to hurt him." Karma whispered to her partner/handler as she stared at the fresh blood still dripping from the German's neck.

Ben eased up on his hold of the scientist but not enough to spark suspicion in the other remaining Russians keeping watch.

"You alright, Walls?" Ben spoke quietly into the man's ear.

Nicolas nodded and replied in German so that the other men wouldn't understand him, "A small cut on the neck is nothing compared to what that evil man has planned for me, even if I give him the device. Let's just hope this plan of yours will fool him as well."

Before Ben could reply, the door was opened once again and the Russian guard gestured for them to step forward.

"Keep your fingers crossed." He whispered in German as they entered through the doorway into a medium sized office space of some sort.

The room was dimly lit with dirty, cracked walls surrounding them and a metal desk in the far right corner with a laptop computer sitting on top, causing a very large contrast to the ancient room.

"I see you survived yet again." A deep sinister voice spoke from the back of the room and Ben didn't even need to turn around to know who it was.

"Where is Casey?" Karma spun to face Haldega with rage in her eyes.

The man chuckled at the anger he'd elicited from the young trainee as he averted his gaze to meet Ben's and spoke, "This is quite the scene we have here." He said, gesturing to the German scientist being held against his will. "You really expect me to believe that you would harm an innocent man? I thought we had a deal?"

"The deal is still on once we see that Agent. McDonald is in good health." Ben replied smoothly as he continued to press the knife against Nicolas Walls' neck. "And don't underestimate me. I'll do anything to ensure the safety of my partners. Got it?"

"Your agent is fine," he shrugged nonchalantly, "and the deal was that you bring me Walls, and then you get the girl."

"I want to see Casey first, or no deal."

"You don't trust me?" He feigned mock hurt with a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

Just then the door opened behind them and Benjamin immediately recognized the large frame of the man from the German airport who was with Haldega when he'd been shot. The man approached his employer while shooting a menacing scowl at the R.E.D. agents.

"You wanted to see me?" The man spoke to his boss with a grim expression.

"Go get the girl and bring her here." Haldega commanded and the large man dipped his chin before exiting the room without another word.

(=)

12:31 AM

Kraemin entered the jail cell block where they were keeping the secret agent with a huge grin plastered upon his ghastly features. As soon as he grabbed the stubborn woman and brought her to her fellow agents, they could be rid of them and get on with the plan once and for all.

"Hey, girly, it's time to..." He stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed something wasn't right. Three rusted metal bars had been removed from the enclosure and the woman was gone.

Kraemin cursed out loud as he bolted for the exit, hoping that she hadn't gone far. If he lost her, then the whole plan would be ruined and Haldega would murder him for sure.

"She is so going down!"

(=)

12:48 AM

Casey inched her way along a concrete wall with cracks running down the length of it from old age. She was already becoming exhausted and her bullet wound continued to ache as she hurried through the maze of hallways, praying to God that one would lead her to safety.

So far, she hadn't run into any of Haldega's guards but she knew her luck was bound to run out eventually, so she tried to quicken her pace once again as she peered around the bend to find another empty hall before her.

She wondered if her friends were already here and if Haldega knew of their whereabouts. She couldn't understand why Ben would be so stupid as to make a trade with their enemy. If Haldega got his hands on Walls' device, then the whole world would have to pay.

_I can't let that happen! I need to stop that monster at all costs!_

"You really thought you could escape me?" The sound of the ugly goon's voice caused Casey to grimace as she turned around to face the man across the long hallway with a scowl upon her face.

"You're pretty sneaky, twisting the bars loose in your cell." Kraemin grinned and was deliberately taunting her as he took slow strides towards her. She gripped the metal bar with her good hand and prepared herself for the attack that was about to ensue.

The man's grin widened viciously as he pulled out a gun from his belt and aimed it straight for her, "You really think a rusted bar is any match against a bullet?"

"I guess we'll find out." She replied with a cocked brow and a smirk, enticing him to make the first move.

"Suit yourself, girly." He sneered before pulling the trigger.

Casey predicted that the ugly goon would aim for one of her legs because Haldega needed her alive in order to make the trade with Ben, so once he fired the gun, Casey jumped in the air and used the bar to deflect the bullets from harming her. They bounced off with a loud clanging sound as sparks flew, and the young agent charged at the man, ignoring the searing pain ripping through her arm.

Before Kraemin could react, the young agent had swung the rusted bar and knocked the weapon from his hand. The gun crashed to the floor and skittered a few feet away. Casey spun around and kicked him in the gut, then lifted the bar to meet his chin, causing a bloodied tooth to fly out of his mouth.

Her adversary swore as he spit to the side and lunged for the bar in her hands. Casey fought for control but the man was too strong for her; the pressure he was putting on her arm only made it worse as he pushed down on her.

"Aahh!" Casey cried out in pain as he shoved her to the ground and yanked the rusted bar from her grasp.

"Let's see how _you_ like being hit by this." Kraemin grinned evilly as he raised the bar in his hand and was about to lower it down on her body when there was a loud _bang._

"Drop the weapon!" A familiar voice bellowed and Casey turned to see Phillip Greenwood standing with Kraemin's discarded gun pointed at his head.

"Who...?" The ugly goon began to speak but Phil cut him off.

"If you don't drop the bar this instant, then the next bullet I shoot won't just be a warning into the wall." The ex secret agent deadpanned as he stared the man down.

Casey was still in too much shock to even notice the second man who was cautiously approaching her from the side. She watched as Kraemin finally backed down and dropped the bar, letting it clatter noisily to the ground.

"Ph... Phil...?" Casey finally managed to breathe out as she stared up at her former handler with wide bewildered eyes while she still remained plastered to the cold cement floor.

"I'm not the one you want to be looking at right now." Phil said with a slight smirk as he gestured to a spot beside her.

Casey turned her head in confusion and came face-to-face with a very concerned brown eyed stepbrother.

"Derek?" She choked out, noticing that there was something different about him, something she couldn't quite place at the moment. "H...how...?"

"Are you okay, Case?" He cut her off as he began to examine her injuries. "Those bastards!" He cursed aloud as he saw the wound in her shoulder. "You need to get to the hospital before that becomes infected."

All Casey wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and hold him close but she refrained from doing that, knowing it might weird him out, so instead she watched as he reached for the bandage on her shoulder and winced when he started to pull it off . She quickly angled her body away from his touch and whispered harshly, "Der-ek!"

"Sorry." He apologized. "I just wanted to see how bad it was."

Casey couldn't reply, she was still half in shock that he was even there, with Phillip of all people, and trying to tend to her injuries.

"Casey, did they do anything else to you? Did they..." he paused before clearing his throat and averting his gaze, "did they _touch _you?"

Casey gaped at him for a moment before she shook her head, "No, they hurt me but _not_ like that."

"Can you walk?" Derek asked with a hand on her shoulder and Casey wondered why at the mere touch of him she was having butterflies in her stomach.

"I..." She tried to speak but that look in his eyes caused her to falter. He was looking at her in a way that he'd never done before, with so much affection and utmost concern for her being. "I think... I can manage..." She finally got out as she quirked a brow at him in confusion.

Derek must've realized he was staring and quickly looked away with a shake of his head. He held his hand out for her and helped her to her feet.

"Well... now that this touching reunion is over... shall we get out of here?" Phil's voice spoke up.

Casey glanced over at him and then back down at her hand that was still placed gently in Derek's. Her stepbrother hastily let go of her and took a step back as he averted her gaze.

"Phil... how did you... and Derek...?" Casey couldn't form the right words. The tingling sensation in her hand was distracting her.

"We'll explain later. Right now, we need to escape before more goons come looking for you."

"But what about Ben and Karma?"

"What do you mean?"

Derek looked at her and spoke, "Case, it's just the two of us here. Ben and Karma don't even know I left the country."

Casey's eyes widened, "So then you didn't come with them?"

"What do you mean?"

"Ben and Karma are here as well, Derek. They made a deal with Haldega to trade me for Nicolas Walls. We need to find them before he does!"

Suddenly Kraemin began laughing from where he knelt down on the ground with Phil still pointing the gun at his head.

"What's so funny?" Casey growled at him.

"You're too late, girly. Your idiot friends are already with the boss as we speak. I was sent to bring you to them." The ugly good replied with a bloody sneer.

"Where are they?" The young agent demanded to know as she took a threatening step towards him. "Tell me!"

"Good luck finding them in this maze."

"Good luck walking around with one leg." Phil said before pulling the trigger and shooting the man in the right knee.

Kraemin cried out in pain as he dropped to the cement floor.

"Why did you do that?" Casey turned on her former handler and yelled. "We need him to lead us to my friends!"

"We don't need him. I know where to go." Phil shrugged as he placed the gun in the back of his denims and began walking back the way Casey had come.

"We can't just leave him here to bleed it out!" She shrieked pointing at the man who was clutching his leg, trying to stop the flow of blood.

"After everything he's done to you, you still want to help him?"

"I am not a traitor like you, Phillip. I at least have some sense of humanity left in me." Casey glared fiercely with clenched fists at her sides.

"You know nothing about me, Casey, or why I did what I've done." He glared back at her.

"Case, how exactly do you know this guy?" Derek's voice cut in as he took a step to stand next to her.

"I _don't_ know him. I never did."

"In case you haven't noticed, I came here to save your life." Phil snapped at her and Casey saw a flash of hurt in his eyes.

"It doesn't matter; I still don't trust you and I never will."

"Uh... guys..." Derek cut in once again with a wary tone. "I think we should really get moving now..."

"What?" They both turned to look at him.

Suddenly they saw four Russian guards turn down the hall and start running towards them.

"Well you have no choice but to trust me now, Kiddo, so follow me!" Phil shouted to her and immediately took off running with Derek and Casey right on his tail.

Gun shots were being fired and Derek let out a shout of alarm as a bullet skimmed right past his arm.

"Just don't look back!" Casey advised, dodging her own bullets being shot at her.

"I still don't get how you do this for a living!"

"It's what I was made for."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay! You finally got some Dasey again! I'm sorry it took so long for them to have a scene together! I hated it myself, trust me!<strong>

**I really hope you will leave a Review, even if it's to tell me to update faster. Haha! The Reviews honestly do help because they make me feel guilty for not updating so fast, plus I really enjoy seeing what you think of my story. It warms my heart. :)**

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**Thanks again, for Reading, Reviewing, favouriting, etc... You guys are Awesome! **


	30. Chapter 30

_**Again, I am so sorry that it took forever to update! Life just gets in the way and sometimes inspiration just leaves... But I'm back with a new chapter and that's all that matters! **_

_**Thanks for reading and Reviewing! Also, thanks to those who checked out my band! It means a lot! The hard copies will be out within the next couple weeks and we've got a LOT of shows lined up for us in the next two months, so we're Super Stoked and Excited!**_

_**And once again, thanks to the Wonderful and Amazing Leanaplumz for helping me out when my mind was blank! I love you lots!**_

_**Alas... Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**_

* * *

><p><em><strong>Chapter 30<strong>_

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

12:52 AM

Derek hissed in pain as a bullet skimmed past his right leg, definitely taking some of his skin with it but he continued to run, following Casey and the man he still didn't know much about. He and Casey obviously had history and judging by his stepsister's reaction to the man saving her life, it hadn't ended well.

"There's a passage up ahead on the right; just keep your heads low and move quick!" Phil's voice hollered over the many shouts and gun shots coming from behind the trio.

"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Casey yelled at the man and Derek noticed she was grasping her injured shoulder as she ran to catch up. He could tell she was in agony even if she refused to admit it.

He still couldn't get over the fact that if they hadn't rounded that corner at just the right second, Kraemin would've beat the crap out of her with that metal bar and dragged her away to his boss. He was thankful that Phil knew exactly what to do when he grabbed the discarded gun at his feet and didn't even hesitate as he fired a shot into the wall and advanced on the man trying to hurt his Casey.

In that moment, when he saw that she was safe, all Derek wanted to do was grab his stepsister by the back of the neck and kiss her senseless, confessing his love for her and never letting her out of his sight again, but he knew he couldn't do that. He wasn't sure how she felt about him or how she would've reacted. It just wasn't the right time, so instead he tried to play it cool as he examined her wounds and asked her if she was okay. He wanted to kill the men who had hurt her and didn't feel one ounce of sympathy when Phil shot the ugly goon in the leg. In Derek's opinion, he deserved it.

Whoosh!

Derek's attention snapped back to the present just as a bullet flew past his head, grazing his ear. Derek let out a hiss of pain causing him to falter in his steps and fall to the hard cement floor. He caught Casey's eye and inwardly sighed at the concern that shone in them.

"I'm ok! Keep going!"

"No!" Casey cried, ignoring his command and racing to his side.

He groaned as he tried to sit up, his ear was buzzing and his head felt disoriented.

"Derek, get up! We need to hurry!" Casey's voice shouted as he suddenly felt two arms wrap around his frame and try hoisting him up. "Come on!" She grunted from his weight.

"Casey..." Derek breathed out as he stood to his feet with her arm supporting him.

"Run, Derek! We need to move now; they're gaining on us!"

Derek's senses finally hit him as he shook his head and glanced over his shoulder as the hail of bullets flew around him.

"DER-EK!" Casey yelled over to him. "Keep your eyes ahead and run!"

Over Derek's shoulder, Casey spied the Russian guards rounding a corner and gaining on them. Casey reached behind her and grabbed Derek's arm. "We've got to move!" She pulled Derek behind her for a few steps before scanning the empty hallway before them.

He heard the goon barking orders in Russian to the guards as the firing suddenly ceased and he managed to pick up his pace with Casey at his side.

"Why'd they stop shooting us?" Derek questioned warily.

"Because Haldega wants me alive." Casey replied as they rounded a corner on the right. "Where's Phillip?" She cried with rage.

"I... I don't know... He was right in front of us..."

Casey let go of him and began seething, "He left us! That no good, dirty traitorous..." Casey suddenly let out a scream as she was yanked back into a secret passage in the wall.

Derek immediately lunged after her, not realising that the passage was shorter than him and smacked his head on the concrete wall above as he ducked inside. The wall closed behind him and they were engulfed in darkness.

"Casey?" He shouted, ignoring the throbbing in his head, ear, and leg. "Case?"

He heard some shuffling and a muffled cry from his left and quickly spun around to be blinded by a bright light.

"Would you keep it down, you idiot?" Phil's voice snapped. "They'll hear you and we'll all be screwed."

Once Derek's eyes adjusted to the light, which he realized was a small flashlight, he saw Phil standing with Casey in his arms and a hand over her mouth.

"Let her go." He demanded immediately with a scowl on his face as he took a menacing step forward.

"Only if she promises to behave." Phil sneered.

Derek could see Casey fuming as she struggled against the man's grip and knew that wouldn't be happening.

"Once she calms down and promises not to attack me or call me anymore names, then I will be pleased to let her go and lead you kids to your friends."

"Case..." Derek spoke hesitantly with raised hands as he made eye contact with her furious blue orbs. "I know you don't want to trust him, but right now, Phil is our only hope if we ever want to get out of here and rescue Ben and Karma, so please promise to be nice?"

Her eyes were glaring at him but she finally managed to nod her head in agreement.

"She said yes, now let her go." Derek growled.

"Alright." Phil said as he released the young agent and stepped back with his hands raised in surrender.

Casey snarled as she spun to face him, "How dare you!"

"Case, lower your voice." Derek cautioned as he moved towards her. She completely ignored him as she clenched her fists at her sides and scowled at Phil. Derek had never seen her so angry before, not even at him.

"How dare you think you can just waltz back into my life, threaten my family, make me steal and lie from my own agency, and then act like you're the hero here! As I seem to recall, you betrayed us! You turned your back on R.E.D. and on me. You're the enemy and I am not going anywhere with you!"

"Casey, I know you have been waiting for the chance to scream and yell about how much you hate my guts but right now is not the time, so shut your mouth before Haldega's men hear you." Phil whispered harshly as his grey eyes pierced into hers.

"Don't tell me what to do." Casey seethed through clenched teeth but had managed to lower her tone.

Derek watched as Phil sidestepped him and Casey and moved to the wall they'd entered through. He pressed his ear to the cement and told them to keep quiet with a finger to his lips.

A muffled voice suddenly began shouting in Russian and Derek frowned at the fact that he had no idea what the voice was saying. More voices were speaking and arguing.

"What are they saying?" Derek whispered to his stepsister who was listening intently to the conversation going on behind the wall.

"Sshh!" Phil hissed at him with urgent eyes.

Then he felt Casey's hand wrap around his arm as she pressed herself against his side and began speaking into his ear, sending an involuntary shiver to cascade down his spine.

"They're wondering how we just disappeared into thin air." His stepsister's soft, melodic voice spoke as her warm breath tickled his neck. "Some of the guards are claiming it to be the work of evil spirits that haunt the prison and Kraemin is calling them idiots."

"Sshh!" Phil glared at them but Casey only stuck up her chin and continued interpreting the Russian language being spoken to him.

"Now the ugly goon is barking orders at them to keep searching the halls and every room." She let out a small gasp as she listened to his next words.

"What is it?"

"He said that if they find us, to kill you two but to leave me alive."

"They're leaving," Phil spoke hastily as he moved away from the wall and started towards the dark tunnel ahead of them, "which means we need to start moving."

Casey scoffed as she let go of Derek's arm and faced the man, "Didn't I just tell you that I'm not going anywhere with you?"

Phil let out an irritated groan and turned to look at her, "Then how do you expect to find your friends? You don't even know your way around here."

"Well how the hell do you?" She snapped as she lunged towards him and Derek had to pull her back with a tight grip on her good arm in case she decided to attack him.

"He has a man on the inside." Derek answered for Phillip.

Casey gave him an incredulous look before focusing her gaze on Phil again, "Who?"

"It doesn't matter." Phil replied with a shrug.

"Then explain to me how your man seems to know the location of a secret passageway but the ugly goon and the guards didn't."

"He did his research. Now let's go."

Casey began to shake her head and Derek knew that it was time he intervened before they got themselves caught by standing around in the same place for too long. He still had Casey's arm in his grasp and gave it a light tug so that she turned her attention to him.

"Case, I know you don't trust this guy and I know you have good reasons not to, which you will be telling me all about later, especially the part about him threatening our family," Derek cut in with a scowl directed at Phil, "but you promised you would listen." He said, staring into her eyes amidst the light glow of the flashlight. "We need to get out of here and get to your friends before that Haldooga guy decides to get rid of them himself. After we rescue them, then you can beat the crap out of Phil if that's what you really want."

He could sense the inner turmoil she was facing in her head as she stared at the ground and bit her lip. Casey was stubborn but when it came to family and friends, she'd do almost anything to keep them safe, which was why in that moment she let out a huff of air as she returned his gaze and nodded her head.

"You promise?" She asked with a small twitch of the lips before pulling away from his hold and following after Phil who had already begun moving, obviously knowing what her decision would be as well.

Derek stood there for a moment in silence as the darkness surrounded him once again. He was still struggling with the fact that this was real, that it was happening right now at this very moment. He could sense the prickles of pain from where he'd been grazed by the bullets but right now all he could think about was getting Casey out of there alive. He didn't care if she was the more advanced one in fighting techniques; he could tell that she was not physically ready for any fighting that was bound to take place in the next couple of hours, so in that moment he vowed to himself and to the woman he loved, that he'd protect her no matter what and that he was going to get her out of this place whether he was by her side or not.

"Derek? You coming?" Casey's voice called from up ahead.

"I love you, Casey." He whispered under his breath before stepping forward into the shadows.

(=)

1:07 AM

"What is taking so damn long? Your man should have been back with Casey by now!" Benjamin growled at Haldega as he pressed the tip of the knife against Nicolas Walls' throat to emphasize his growing frustration.

"I don't know!" Haldega snapped back with irritation. "Something has obviously gone wrong."

"If anything has happened to Casey, then your puzzle piece is dead." Ben threatened menacingly, however, on the inside he was falling apart with worry for his partner/close friend.

"Don't be hasty, Agent Blake, I'm sure your partner is fine."

"Then where is she?"

"You tell me! How do I know that this isn't just another part of your scheme that you've concocted?"

"Because I'm not playing anymore!" Ben suddenly shouted and Nicolas let out a gasp as the blade cut into his skin, causing more blood to dribble out.

"Ben, calm down." Karma whispered as she placed her hand on his arm, pulling the knife further from the German scientist's neck with wide eyes.

Walls began saying something in German but Ben tuned it out as he glared fiercely at the evil man before them. All he wanted was Casey and if he had to drill the point into Haldega's head with more force, then so be it.

"Hilson!" Haldega called out while holding Ben's fiery gaze with one of his own.

The head Russian guard from earlier entered the room and approached his employer with a dip of his head, "Da?" He spoke in his language.

"Find out what happened to Kraemin and report back to me immediately!" Haldega snarled.

The man saluted and hurried back out the door with a grim expression.

"Satisfied, Agent Blake?" Haldega sneered with his hands behind his back.

"Not nearly as much as I will be when this is all over."

(=)

1:23 AM

Casey rubbed at her weary eyes and let out a slight yawn as she continued to follow Derek and one of her worst enemies through the dark tunnels of the Russian prison. Her whole body felt like it was on fire with pain. All she wanted to do was lie down in a soft bed and sleep for a month, but she knew that was impossible, so she tried her best to ignore the stabbing that ensued with every step she took.

She stared up ahead at the shadow of light displaying their path and the silhouette of her step brother, whom she still couldn't believe had come all the way here to save her. The thought sent a shiver down her spine and butterflies to flutter in her stomach.

_ Does Derek really care that much for me? _

Was it possible that Derek's feelings for her went beyond just brotherly? Her mind drifted back to the amazing kiss they'd shared back in Germany and she shook her head with a frown. It was definitely more than "brotherly" because he seemed to have no problem with the fact that he'd been kissing his own stepsister, but just _how _much _more_ was it? And the real question was: how exactly did_ she_ feel about it? She couldn't deny enjoying the feel of his lips against hers or the way his touch ignited a fire inside of her like no other guy has ever done... But it was still wrong... Wasn't it?

"Hey, Case?" Derek's voice broke though her thoughts, causing a slight blush to tinge her cheeks even though he couldn't see it in the dark.

"Hmm?" She looked up at him as he took a step towards her.

"You alright? You're falling behind."

"I..." She glanced past him and noticed Phil and his flashlight were becoming a distant shadow, leaving the two of them almost completely encased in black.

"It's your shoulder, isn't it." Derek stated more than asked.

Casey realized that she'd been cradling her injured arm and quickly pulled her hand away from it with a slight wince.

"I'm fine, Derek." She lied.

"No you're not. If we're attacked, how are you supposed to fight? You have no strength left in you."

"I_ can_ fight." She ground out through clenched teeth.

"You'll only injure yourself more."

"You're not a doctor, Derek. I can handle myself just fine." She snapped and began shoving her way past him.

"Casey," Derek stopped her by grabbing her good arm and turning her around to face him.

"What?" Casey groaned with irritation, ignoring the tingles shooting up her arm from his touch.

"I won't stand by and watch you get killed by those maniacs; I can't."

Casey's breath caught in her throat at the raw emotion in Derek's tone as he spoke those words. His hand slid down to grip hers and his thumb began caressing the outside of her palm tenderly.

"Derek..." She tried to speak but he cut her off.

"I almost had you." He spoke softly. "I was so close... But then you were..." She heard him bite back a choke in the darkness, "gone..."

Casey was trying to process his words but she had no idea what he was talking about, so he continued to speak and his next words caused a shiver to run down her spine and her heart to beat rapidly inside her chest.

"I can't lose you again, Casey, and I know this is a horrible time to tell you this... But I lo..."

"Casey, Derek!" Phil's voice suddenly echoed throughout the tunnel causing Derek to curse under his breath as they both turned towards the sound. His hand was still in hers as they began sprinting but that didn't seem to faze either stepsibling as they neared where Phillip was standing with his light at what appeared to be the end of the tunnel.

"What the hell was keeping you two?" Phil growled at them.

"Nothing." Casey snapped back, returning to the secret agent she was trained to be and pushing all thoughts of what Derek was about to confess into the back of her mind. "Does this lead to Haldega?" She asked as she pulled her hand from her stepbrother's and stepped forward to examine the wall in front of them.

"His office is down the hall from here." Phil replied as he handed her his flashlight and gave the wall a hard shove.

"Derek, help me out with this one. It hasn't been used in quite some time." Phil ordered and Derek immediately stepped up to assist the man in shoving the passageway open a crack.

He was about to peek his head out the door to make sure the coast was clear but Casey beat him to it. She saw an empty hall before them and motioned for them to keep pushing.

Derek and Phil both grunted as the cement finally gave away and it swung open easily, spilling the trio out into the prison halls once again.

"Your friends should be right through the next door." Phil said and began to lead the way.

"Not so fast, Greenwood!" Casey snapped and before Phil realized what was happening, Casey had gripped his arm, spun him around and retrieved the gun from his hand.

"Whoa!" Derek exclaimed in awe.

Phil stared at his former trainee in shock as she pointed the gun at him, her blue eyes piercing into his soul.

"Casey, what are you doing?" Phil asked with his hands raised in front of him in surrender.

"I don't like guns."

"Then why are you aiming one at me?"

"Because I still don't trust you."

"Case..." Derek tried to say but was drowned out by her next words directed at Phil.

"There is no way in hell that I'm letting you hold a weapon."

"Then how do you expect to fight against Haldega and his men? In case you haven't noticed, you don't have any tranq guns either."

"I don't care. R.E.D. is not about killing the bad guys, it's about taking them down _alive_ and locking them up for good." She said and then proceeded to take the gun apart and remove the bullets from inside.

"Casey, maybe we should keep the gun loaded just in case..." Derek spoke warily.

"No. I'd be going against everything I've been trained in._ I'm_ not about to turn my back on the Agency." She said as she glared at Phil accusingly.

"Well this just made my job much easier. Thanks, girly." Kraemin's voice suddenly spoke from behind them and Casey spun to see the ugly goon and six Russian guards all aiming their rifles at them.

She scowled and was about to launch into an attack when Kraemin unexpectedly grabbed Derek by the arm and pulled him in front of his body with a rifle trained at his head.

"I wouldn't do that if you want your little boyfriend to be alive in the next few minutes."

"Don't listen to him, Casey! Run!" Derek shouted with a red face.

Casey halted in her movements as she tried to take in the situation, searching for some way out of this but all she could think of was Derek's safety, it was all that mattered to her. She couldn't let him be killed; she wouldn't. In that moment, Casey realized that life without Derek wasn't possible and as she stared at her stepbrother who was pleading with her to leave him behind, three words came crashing down on her reality.

_I love him._

* * *

><p><em><strong>Finally Casey realizes her feelings! Took her long enough, right? Haha!<strong>_

_**Please leave a review, it would make me so very, very happy! **_

_**And once again, if you're interested in checking out my band on iTunes, just send me a message and I'll tell you our name. You won't be disappointed if you're into girls that can rock. :) **_

_**Until next time... which hopefully won't be too long away... You Guys Rock!**_


	31. Chapter 31

**I know, I know, I KNOW! I'm a horrible human being! It's been WAY too long since my last update! But I promised you that I WILL finish this story! I will NOT let myself be an author that doesn't finish what she started. I could never do that to you guys. It's just taking longer than I'd hoped to finish this darn story, but it WILL happen. **

**Just a warning... This is seriously the LONGEST chapter I have ever written. It explains a lot though, so I hope you won't be too disappointed. **

**And as always, thanks to LeanaPlumz for helping mould my ideas. You are seriously Amazing and I don't know if this story would be what it is without you! Love ya, girl!**

**Ok... now go ahead and Read on... then tell me what you think. PLEASE and THANK YOU!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 31<strong>

_Russia_

_Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison_

1:42 AM

"Let him go and I'll surrender."

The words coming out of Casey's mouth caused Derek's gut to wrench in physical agony as he shook his head at her with desperation.

"No, Casey! I will not let you do that!" Derek bellowed as he continued to struggle in his captor's grip.

His stepsister ignored him, refusing to glance his way as she scowled menacingly at the ugly goon holding a gun to his head.

"Leave him out of this and I promise to do what you want." Casey spoke with clenched fists at her sides, ready to put up a fight if Kraemin didn't agree to compromise.

"Fine." The ugly goon sneered as he lowered his weapon and shoved Derek to the ground. "He's free, now let's go." He took a step towards Casey, motioning to the hall ahead of them. "It wouldn't be wise to keep the boss waiting any longer."

Before he could take another step, Derek let out a fierce cry as he launched himself from the cracked cement floor and rammed himself directly into Kraemin's injured leg. The man roared in pain as he collapsed with a loud smack, hitting his head and losing his grip on the gun. Derek didn't waste any time as he crawled over Kraemin's back and grabbed the rifle at the same time he did.

"Derek!" Casey's yelled as the two men began to wrestle for dominance over the weapon. She knew there was no way her stepbrother could win this fight. He'd only succeeded in pissing off the ugly goon even more.

She noticed the guards about to interfere as they glanced at one another and stepped forward, so despite the excruciating pain harassing her body, Casey leapt towards them without hesitation.

She'd taken on ten men at once before, so six should've been a piece of cake, however the moment Casey's fist collided with the first Russian guard's chin, weakness succumbed her and she stumbled back right into the arms of another guard. His grip on her arms tightened and Casey let out an ear-splitting scream due to her bullet wound. A third Russian grinned at her as he pulled back his fist and was about to hit her in the stomach. Casey shut her eyes tight and waited for the blow to assault her insides but when none came, she opened them again and saw him lying on the ground unconscious.

"Casey, look out!" A voice shouted and she ducked down just as the guard's grip on her arms loosened and Phil knocked him out with a kick to the groin and a fist to the head.

Another guard came at her as she cradled her injured shoulder and dodged his attack and then spun around and swept his feet out from underneath him. She grabbed the rifle from his hands and hit him over the head with the butt of it, knocking him out.

Phil was still fighting the other two men as Casey turned her attention back to Derek who was now being shoved onto his back with Kraemin straddling his frame and twisting the gun out of his grasp.

"Casey, get out of here now!" Derek demanded as he grunted under the man's weight and strength. "Go stop Haldega!"

"I can't leave you, Derek!"

Kraemin grinned up at her as he began pushing the rifle towards Derek's neck, "He's the one that's going to be leaving you soon, girly, because there is no way I'm letting him live after this."

"No!" Casey watched in horror while the ugly goon began pressing the length of the barrel into Derek's neck and her stepbrother began to choke.

"Casey..." Derek gasped out while still fighting against Kraemin's strength. "GO!"

_Four Years Ago_

_Location unknown_

_Time Unknown_

_Ben let out a sigh of relief when he looked ahead of them and saw a T section in the hallway just like the security guards had said. He immediately began picking up his pace and headed towards the hall on the left which was supposed to lead them to an exit, if the guards were actually telling the truth. _

_ "Let's get out of here, Bluebird." He motioned to his partner with a grin. _

_ "I can't go with you." Casey's solemn tone made him halt in his steps and turn towards her with a frown._

_ "What do you mean? You have to go with me. We need to leave now, Casey, or they'll catch us."_

_ "I'm not leaving without the antidote." His partner deadpanned. Her blue eyes shone with stubbornness and he already knew that there was no changing her mind._

_ "We'll come back once we call for help." He tried reasoning with her anyway, praying she would listen._

_ "Who are we going to call? We don't even know who we can trust anymore, Ben."_

_ She had a point._

_ "But... It's suicide, Casey." He continued to argue even though she had already convinced him to go with her. "We don't know how many of them there are and not to mention that most of them are ex spies, so they're sure to put up quite the fight..."_

_ "We're so close, Ben." Casey spoke as she took a step towards him and grabbed his arm. The seriousness in her features caused his gut to wrench. "They're depending on us to save them." She was referring to the Agency. "We can't turn our backs now; we can't let Phillip and the rest of those traitors win. I _won't_. Let's prove to them that we're not just rookies; we can beat them." _

_ "Alright." Ben nodded with determination. "Let's do this."_

_ Casey grinned triumphantly as she spun around and hurried towards the hallway on the right._

_ "Please, God, don't let us die for nothing." Ben exhaled through his breath and followed after her._

(=)

_Fifteen Minutes Later_

_The duo finally stopped walking when they came across a door on the right of the hallway where loud voices were coming out of. Ben grabbed Casey's arm to keep moving but the young agent was curious to know what the voices were arguing about, especially when she recognized one of them belonging to her former handler. _

_ "I did not sign up for this! I was told this would only be about the Agencies, not the entire world!" Phillip Greenwood shouted._

_ Casey glanced back at her partner who was cautiously watching their surroundings for any surprises. He frowned at her, motioning for them to keep moving before they were caught but Casey shook her head as she placed her ear against the door and listened._

_ "What is the point of having all this power in our hands if we're not going to use it for more?" Another man shouted in a thick French accent that she didn't recognize. _

_ "That's not what the formula was created for."_

_ "Well then create a NEW formula!" _

_ "You're insane! We will not use this formula, or a new one on the innocent lives of the world." _

_ "No one is innocent, Greenwood. They all deserve what is coming to them."_

_ "Well I will not be a part of this!"_

_ "Then I'll just form my own alliance!" The French man bellowed, causing a shiver to run down Casey's spine. She didn't like the sound of that._

_ A hand suddenly covered her mouth and Casey was pulled across the hall and into a dark corner. She began to struggle against her captor when her partner's voice breathed into her ear._

_ "It's just me, Bluebird. Calm down." Ben whispered. _

_ Casey's racing heart began to beat at a steady pace again as she gazed at Ben with questioning eyes. He pointed to the door down the hall and both agents peaked around the corner just in time to see four guards enter the room._

_ "I heard them coming while you were busy eavesdropping." Her partner said with a glower._

_ "Sorry." Casey sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Did you hear what they said though? Who was that man?"_

_ "It doesn't matter. We're here for the antidote, so let's retrieve it and get the hell out of here. Once the Agency is back in order, we won't stop until Phil and the rest of these traitors are caught. Alright?"_

_ Casey nodded, knowing he was right. _

_ "Good. Now let's go. I'm sure it's not too much further."_

_ They sprinted down the hall and came to a halt when a large room came into view. It appeared to be a lab. They peered around the corner and noticed three men in white lab coats pouring a clear blue liquid into tiny vials. _

_ "The antidote." The young agent whispered with excitement as she took a step forward to retrieve it. _

_ "Whoa!" Ben grabbed her by the arm and forced her back. "We can't just barge in there without a plan." He whispered harshly. "They'll sound an alarm once they realize we're a threat, and besides, you don't know for sure if that's the antidote."_

_ Casey sighed as she tucked a piece of stray hair falling into her face behind her ear, "So what's the plan then, Mr. Ideas?"_

_ "We're wearing guard's uniforms, right?" He grinned mischievously._

_ "Yes...?"_

_ "So do you want to be the Wookie or shall I?" _

_ "A Wook... what?"_

_Five minutes Later_

_ "You thought you could trick us, didn't you?" Ben shouted loudly as he and Casey entered the lab; the latter was in her regular clothes and being led by her partner who was still dressed like a guard. The three men looked up from their work stations simultaneously with bewildered expressions._

_ "Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?" One of the men stepped forward with a stern expression. He had horn rimmed glasses perched upon a pointed nose, dark hair and hazel eyes. "You're not supposed to be in here."_

_ "I caught this prisoner lurking the hallways." Ben replied as he gave Casey a slight shove. She stumbled forward, trying to keep her balance even though her hands were clasped behind her back. "She was trying to escape."_

_ "So why did you bring her here? We're in the middle of finishing the antidote for the leaders."_

_ "It's not finished yet?" Ben questioned with a raised brow._

_ "The formula is complete but we have to get it ready for shipping, which means hundreds of tiny vials need to be filled before tomorrow morning, and to make matters worse, there are only three of us to do the job." The man grumbled bitterly. _

_ "Yeah, so get the hell out of here." Another man in a lab coat snapped. _

_ "I will, I will..." The secret agent posing as a guard said with a grin as he held up his hands. "But first, I need to take a couple of those."_

_ "What do you...?" Before the man could finish his sentence, Ben had lunged across the room and knocked him out with his fist._

_ The other two men stood with shocked expressions and didn't even have time to react before Casey had appeared behind them and smashed their heads together, rendering both unconscious from the blow as they dropped to the floor with a _thunk.

_ "Let's hurry and grab as many as we can." Casey said as she began filling her pockets with the tiny blue vials of antidote for Potion X._

_ "I've got an even better plan." Ben smiled wide as he stared at the screen of a laptop on one of the counters. "The formula is written out right here."_

_ "And do you see a printer anywhere?" Casey asked sarcastically._

_ "Nope, but I do have my mind." He smirked as he tapped his head. "The antidote is already embedded into my brain."_

_ "I love your brain." Casey breathed with a sigh of relief. _

_ "So do I; now let's go."_

_ "Not so fast!" A familiar voice exclaimed from the doorway and both agents spun around to see Richmond Carlson aiming a gun at them. "You're not going anywhere, especially with the antidote."_

_ "Oh, yes we are." Casey seethed with clenched fists. _

_ Carlson chuckled, "You really think you can get past me and my gun?"_

_ "Watch us." Casey muttered and then ducked down behind the counter just as he fired a bullet. _

_ Ben was a few feet away, hiding behind the adjacent counter. They made eye contact and knew they could do this. They had to; not only for their colleagues and friends, but for the rest of the world as well. If Potion X ever leaked out, millions of innocent lives would suffer and they couldn't let that happen._

_ Images of her family flashed into Casey's mind. They were the main reason why she'd taken the job. She wanted to protect them, no matter what it took. Their safety was her number one concern and that included Derek. _

_ "You're both just going to hide behind the counters like cowards?" Carlson laughed as he fired another shot, the sound caused Casey's ears to ring. "You really are just rookie agents." He scoffed._

_ Ben nodded at her in that moment and both agents leapt to their feet and lunged over the counter tops towards the traitorous villain. Ben tackled him to the ground and Casey tried to pry the weapon from his hands while Carlson's finger was still on the trigger. Another shot was fired in the struggle and the bullet flew right into a container of flammable gas._

_ "Oh no!" Casey cried as she noticed the gas leaking out already and headed straight for the lit Bunsen burners across the lab. "We need to get out of here now. This room is about to explode!"_

_ Ben grabbed a hold of Carlson but the man refused to give up without a fight. He noticed the gun now in Casey's hand and made a move to grab it but Ben kicked him in the gut, causing the man to stumble back with a vicious shout of rage._

_ "Move, Bluebird!" Ben ordered as he grabbed Casey's hand and started pulling her into the hall. _

_ "What about Carlson and those men?"_

_ "We don't have time!"_

_ Even though they were on the evil side, Casey still felt guilty leaving those men to die like that but she also knew she had no other choice unless she wanted to end up like them as well, so she let her partner pull her into a mad dash through the hallways of the unknown building they were in._

_ Suddenly an ear-splitting BOOM! sounded from behind them and both agents dropped to the floor with their arms over their heads as flames from the explosion flew over top of them, the heat licking their skin and causing them to break out in an immediate sweat as they coughed for air._

_ "You alright?" Ben choked out once the flames had receded and glanced at his partner._

_ Casey nodded with tear-filled eyes while trying to regain her breath. _

_ "Then let's get out of here. If they haven't noticed we escaped yet, they will now."_

_ "Do you remember the way out?" Casey asked as they started to sprint._

_ "That's a stupid question." Ben shook his head at her._

_ "Oh... right..."_

_ "Just follow me and keep a look out for guards."_

"_Honey pot, up ahead!" Casey shouted to her partner as they rounded a hall and saw four guards approaching them with fierce expressions on their faces._

_ "Shoot them!" One of the guards ordered the others and they all aimed their weapons at the escaped duo._

_ "Casey, you have Carlson's gun; use it!" Ben yelled while the guards were getting closer._

_ "I can't shoot a real gun!" The young agent began to panic as she glanced down at the heavy piece of dark metal in her hand with a horrified expression._

_ "You have no choice! You don't have to kill them, just use it to startle them!" _

_ Suddenly a shot was fired and both agents darted out of the offensive bullet's path before it could collide with their skin. _

_ Casey cursed under her breath, wondering why she'd taken the dang gun with her in the first place as she lifted it up, released the safety and pulled the trigger. The shot did indeed startle the guards as it zoomed past two of their heads and clanged against the far wall. _

_ The guards cried out in surprise and then one fired another shot towards them. The bullet skimmed past Ben's shoulder making him hiss in pain as a bloodied wound began to form under his shirt sleeve._

_ "Casey, the light!" Ben motioned to the bulb dangling from the ceiling over their heads and Casey got the hint as she aimed the gun towards it and fired. There was a loud POP! as the whole hallway was sheathed into darkness._

_ The guards began shouting to one another while Casey and Ben crept though the shadows, remembering their darkness training from the Agency and took out all four men before they even had a chance to fight back. _

_ "Thank goodness for Sensei Hershey and his insane field exercises we were put through." Ben breathed out with a sigh once they entered another lit hallway and continued running towards the exit._

_ "I never thought learning to fight in the dark would come in hand until now." His partner agreed._

_ They came to a halt when they found a metal door with an exit sign glowing red over top. Ben pulled on the latch with a grunt as the metal screeched against the floor and opened up to reveal a ladder ascending upwards into the shadows. _

_ "How far underground are we?" Casey wondered aloud as she peered anxiously into the deep hole that would be their way of escape._

_ "I don't know but I suggest we start climbing before more guards decide to make an appearance." Ben replied, glancing down the two hallways surrounding them. "Do you still have at least one of those vials with you?" He asked as he looked at her. _

_ Casey searched her pockets that she just now realized were damp and full of broken glass and let out a frustrated groan. _

_ "They must've broken when we took cover from the blast." The young agent frowned as she emptied the broken pieces from her pockets to the ground. She looked up at her partner with questioning eyes. "It doesn't matter though, right? You know the formula...?"_

_ "Yes, but I'm not a scientist, Casey. I have no idea how to actually create the antidote from the formula in my head. That's why we would've at least needed one vial, so that we could heal Mason Marz and he could create the antidote that would restore everyone else."_

_ "Now you tell me this! I would've tried to be more careful if I'd known!" _

_ "We'll figure something out; let's just get out of here." Ben shook his head with a reassuring pat on Casey's shoulder and motioned for her to start climbing._

_ "Wait!" Casey whispered as she grabbed the first bar and was about to pull herself up. "Did you hear that?"_

_ "Hear what?"_

_ "I heard something..."_

_ "Then get moving!" _

_ Casey ignored her partner and moved back out into the hall, listening intently with her ears perked. _

_ "What are you...?" Ben started to say but Casey shushed him with a glare._

_ There was a clicking sound coming from the far hall and for some reason Casey knew she had to investigate as she took off running in the direction with Ben shouting behind. _

_ Her eyes widened in surprise when she came face-to-face with Phillip Greenwood who was caught strapping something to the wall. She let out a gasp when she realized what it was. _

_ "Is that C4?" Casey cried in alarm. _

_ Phil nodded, her sudden presence not bothering him the slightest, and continued what he was doing as he went to grab another block out of a duffle bag on the ground beside him. _

_ "What are you planning to do with it?"_

_ "What do you think?" He snapped sarcastically. "You and your partner better get out of here while you can, Casey, because this place is about to cease to exist."_

_ "You think you can just cover up everything you did here?"_

_ "I'm getting _rid_ of everything in here."_

_ "I won't let you do this, Phil." Casey said as she suddenly lifted the gun still in her hand and pointed it towards her former handler._

_ Phil scoffed, "Put the gun down, Casey. You don't know what you're doing." _

_ "Like hell I do!" The secret agent exclaimed with fury. "You are not going to just blow up this place and get away with what you did! I won't let you!"_

_ "So you're going to shoot me; is that it?" He challenged her with a cocked brow as he took a step towards her. "We both know how you feel about guns, Casey. It's one of the reasons why you decided to become an R.E.D. agent, because they use tranquilizer darts on their enemies instead of bullets. You won't shoot me, so just put it down and leave before I press this detonator in my hand and you blow up along with Potion X and its creators."_

_ Casey glanced down at the remote trigger in his right hand and back at the explosives lining the walls around them. _

_ "I've already placed enough C4 throughout the tunnels of this place to make it disappear forever." The man smirked. "So don't even bother trying to stop me."_

_ "Bluebird!" Ben's voice shouted from behind._

_ "Why?" Casey snarled at Phil, ignoring her partner's cry. "Why did you betray us? Why are you doing this?"_

_ For a second, Casey saw a look of guilt flash across Phillip's face but it quickly vanished as he stared her straight in the eye and held up the detonator. "You wouldn't understand." He said as his finger hovered over the button that would set off the explosives. "Now get out of here because once I press this button, you'll only have ten minutes to escape."_

_ "No!" Casey screamed and before she knew what she was doing, her finger tightened on the trigger and she fired a shot directly into Phil's knee._

_ Phillip cried out in pain as he dropped to the ground and clutched his leg as red liquid began pouring out. His eyes met hers and then they darted to the ground where the detonator lay a couple feet away. _

_ Casey lunged for the remote at the same time as Phil, both having a hold on it and refusing to let go. _

_ "I'm trying to get rid of the potion!" Phil grunted out as he and Casey wrestled for control. The latter had him pinned against the wall as she tried to rip the device from his grasp._

_ "You're trying to destroy the evidence!" Casey scowled at him and let out a gasp when he suddenly had _her_ body pressed against the wall, despite his bad knee._

_ "Don't forget who trained you, McDonald." Phil grinned as he closed his hand around hers on the detonator and pressed both their fingers down on the button. _

_ "Get off of her!" Ben growled viciously as he grabbed Phil up by the neck and shoved him against the adjacent wall. _

_ A beeping sound began to circulate the hallway and Casey's eyes widened when she realized it was counting down._

_ "Ben! We need to leave now!" Casey cried as she grabbed her partner's arm and tried to pull him away from the traitor. "This whole place is about to blow!" _

_ "I told you, you couldn't stop me." Phil sneered._

_ Ben's eyes widened as he finally took in his surroundings and noticed the bricks of C4 outlining the walls. He let go of Phil immediately and grabbed Casey's hand as they broke out into a heavy sprint._

_ "Wait, what about Phil? I shot him in the leg, there's no way he'll be able to keep up with us!" Casey exclaimed as she dropped Ben's hand and started to run back._

_ "Are you insane?" Ben yelled while gripping onto her hand even tighter. "There's no time to go back!"_

_ "But..."_

_ "Casey!" Ben looked intently into her tear-filled eyes. "We need to save the antidote!" _

_ Casey nodded as she wiped at the tears and they took off running, literally for their lives. _

_ Both agents hurried into the doorway that led to the exit and Ben slammed the door shut behind them, hoping it would delay the blast from getting to them, as Casey started climbing the ladder upwards. He immediately followed after her as they both panted from exhaustion but kept going. _

_ About halfway up, a deafening BOOM! went off and the ladder began to shake from the blast. Casey let out a terrified scream when her left leg slipped from the bar and she struggled to regain her balance._

_ "Keep going, Casey!" Ben shouted below her. "The flames will reach us any minute!"_

_ She could feel the heat beginning to rise into the tunnel and the bars of the ladder began to burn her hands as she pulled her leg back up and started climbing even harder._

_ Finally, she reached the end as light shone through the opening of a manhole. Casey didn't waste any time in removing the top as she pulled herself to the surface and Ben emerged after her. Her partner grabbed her hand in a mad dash and they dove behind a hill just as a roaring ball of fire spewed from the tunnel they'd just exited. _

_ "That was too close." Casey panted as she stared wide eyed at the opening. _

_ "You're telling me." _

_ Casey's expression darkened and she turned away from their narrow escape with one thought on her mind. She'd just let Phillip Greenwood die. _

Present

_Russia_

_Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison_

1:51 AM

"That's it! I'm going after Casey myself!" Ben growled at Haldega as he spun towards the door with Nicolas Walls still in his arms with a knife to his throat. His patience had finally worn thin long ago and the concern for his partner had taken over.

A woman's scream coming from the hallway halted the agent in his steps. He knew that scream.

"Casey!" Ben exclaimed and moved hastily for the door.

"You idiot!" Haldega's voice sneered from behind him and Ben spun around to see the evil man now holding a gun against Karma's head and cursed.

"Let her go!"

The young blonde agent stared back at him with a hard gaze, "Don't worry about me, Ben. Go get Casey."

"All I want is Mr. Walls." Haldega grinned as he pressed his nose into Karma's hair and sniffed her. "Or this precious little flower will wilt."

Ben snarled viciously, "Get your grubby hands off of her!"

"Give me the scientist!"

"Ben, don't listen to him! Take Walls and go!" Karma demanded.

"Shut up!" Haldega ordered her as he pressed the gun even harder against her temple, causing the young woman to flinch in pain.

Ben stared into Karma's pleading blue eyes and then back at Haldega's dark cold ones. There was no way he could let her sacrifice herself for his dim-witted mistake. This was his fault, not hers.

"Take him." Ben spoke through clenched teeth as he glared defiantly at the French man and released his hold on the German scientist.

Walls began pleading in German as Karma started to protest, but either of them had a say in it. Ben cautiously shoved Nicolas towards Haldega and waited for the man to release his partner to him.

"Just so you don't try to follow me..." Haldega sneered and before Ben could react, the man had smashed the butt of his gun over Karma's head and dropped her to the floor. He then grabbed Walls and hurried out of the room.

"You bastard!" Ben cried out and rushed to Karma's side as her eyes began to flutter closed. "Karma!" He shouted as he held her in his arms. "Stay with me, Kar! Stay with me!"

"You shouldn't have done that, Ben." Karma breathed out. "You just let the... the enemy win." She said before her head lolled to the side and she passed out, leaving a remorseful Benjamin Blake staring down at her.

* * *

><p><strong>I told you it was long... And I'm extremely sorry that there was hardly any Derek or Dasey in this chapter, it kills me too, but I promise more in the next ones. <strong>

**Thanks to all who have stuck with me throughout this long process of a story... and to those who have recently started reading as well. **

**Please Review, even if it's to yell at me for taking so long to update... I just like to hear from you! Thanks!**


	32. Chapter 32

**YAY! Another update already! I can't believe it either, but yet, here it is! **

**Thanks for all the reviews in the last chapter. I also appreciate no one wanting to murder me for taking so long to update last time. Haha. I hope this can make up for any hatred you may have developed towards me... **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 32<strong>

_Russia_

_Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison_

2:03 AM

It was like time had ceased to go on as Casey stood helplessly to the side while Derek, her stepbrother - the man she'd just realized a few moments ago that she _loved_ – was slowly being choked by the weight of a rifle and demanding that she leave him to stop the bad guy.

_I can't just leave him to die! _She argued with herself. _But you saw what Haldega is planning and if you don't get to him now, the whole world will suffer because of you! _

Kraemin was laughing now as he continued to push the heavy metal against Derek's bare neck and Casey shook her head. _I need to help Derek!_

"Casey, I'll help Derek; just get going!" Phil's voice suddenly broke into her thoughts as he grabbed her arm and shoved her away from the scene. "Haldega's office is right down the hall."

"No!" She scowled at him and tried to push him out of her way.

Phil caught her by the shoulders and stared hard into her eyes, "You have a job to do. Haldega is _your_ assignment and _you_ need to finish this."

"Let me go!" Casey tried to wrestle out of his hold.

"You need to trust me, Casey!" Phil snapped fiercely, startling Casey into submission. "I know you still hate me, but for just this once, do as I say and let me handle this! It's my fault your stepbrother is here in the first place!"

Casey stared into his dark eyes pleading with her to listen to him and for some reason she knew that he was telling the truth. It was the look he used to give her when they trained together before she became an official agent; back when he was her handler and her friend. He may have betrayed her in the past, but there was still a part of the old Phillip Greenwood inside of him and she was looking at him now.

"Take care of him." The young secret agent nodded desperately as she took one last remorseful look at the man she loved and spun away to leave.

"Casey, wait!" Phil stopped her again. "Take this." He held out one of the guard's rifles to her. "I know you don't like guns but..."

"Thanks, Phil." She cut him off and surprisingly took the weapon from his hands without complaint. "I'll need all the help I can get."

Her former handler smirked and watched her take off down the hall before he remembered Derek was running out of time and quickly went to his aid.

(=)

His lungs were on fire as Derek tried to breathe out but the pressure from the rifle against his throat was making it impossible to breathe at all. His arms were getting weaker and he knew he was no match for the ugly goon's strength. This wasn't just about retrieving the weapon anymore; Kraemin wanted him dead.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" The man grinned down at him as tears began leaking from Derek's eyes and his color began to drain. "Once I'm finished with you, your little secret agent girlfriend is mine. I'm gonna make her suffer like the bitch she is."

"No!" Derek choked out and tried shoving harder against the metal trapping his lungs. How dare he talk about Casey that way!

His vision was beginning to blur and he had no idea if Casey was even still there or not. He hoped she'd listened to him and gone after Haldega. His _one_ life was nothing compared to the millions at stake right now, including their family's. He was ready to die, if it meant saving others. His only regret was not telling his stepsister how he truly felt.

In the moment that Derek finally decided to surrender his life and stop fighting, a heavy rifle was swung directly into the ugly goon's head, smashing his face and forcing him to release his grip on the rifle against Derek's throat. Derek didn't waste any time as he got a hold of the weapon that almost took his life and despite the excruciating pain he was in; he slammed the butt of the gun down hard against Kraemin's temple twice.

"You made your point, Kiddo." Phil said as he grabbed the gun from Derek before he hit him again.

The young hockey player glared down at the unconscious man and then immediately dropped to his knees and started coughing and gasping for air to return to his bruised lungs.

"C-Casey...?" He choked out as he looked questioningly up at Phil.

"She's gone after Haldega."

Derek started to get to his feet but stumbled and fell back to the ground. Phil was at his side instantly, trying to reassure him.

"Once you regain your strength, let alone your breath, we'll go find her."

"She's... weak." Derek coughed with concern in his eyes.

"I know."

(=)

2:07 AM

"Please, you don't have to do this!" Nicolas Walls begged Haldega in his German accent as the evil man shoved him into a large room that appeared to be some sort of laboratory and pointed the gun at him.

"Stop talking and get working." Haldega hissed and kept the gun trained on him while pulling out a metallic case and unlatching the locks. "This is the QT7 chip." He sneered and held up a purple triangular shaped object no bigger than a coin. "I want you to use your device to activate it."

"The... the NicoTech is still u-under examination. I c-can't possibly..."

"You WILL!" Haldega boomed with a red face, causing the German scientist to cower in fear. "Now, get to work!"

Walls removed his terror stricken gaze from the black barrel staring him down and took the chip from his captor with a nod of the head. He should never have trusted those spies from Canada. He knew that once he completed the evil-doer's task, the man would have no more use for him and wouldn't hesitate to place a bullet in his head.

_This is the end. _He thought bitterly. The NicoTech device was created to help the world, now it would kill it instead.

(=)

2:08 AM

Casey didn't even hesitate as she rammed herself through the aged wooden door of Haldega's office with the rifle extended expecting to catch the evil man off guard, however _she_ was the one surprised at the sight awaiting _her_.

"Casey!" The voice of her partner sent a warm flutter of relief to Casey's stomach and she immediately dropped her weapon and hurried to his side.

"What happened? Where's Haldega?"

Ben looked up at her with guilt stricken eyes as he held an unconscious Karma in his arms.

"He's gone."

"Is she alright?" Casey asked and examined the young blonde's head with worry.

"I don't know. He hit her pretty hard."

"How did this happen? Why are you even here?"

"We came to save you." Ben frowned at her as he stroked Karma's hair from her face. "I couldn't go after him; I couldn't leave her like this. It's my fault this happened, Casey. I thought my plan would work but now he has him."

"Haldega has Nicolas Walls?" Casey shouted with wide, hysteric eyes.

"Yes... How did you know he was here?"

"The bigger question is: how could you be such an idiot, Benjamin?"

"It was the only way we could save you. Haldega offered a trade and we took it. I had everything under control until..."

"Where did they go?" Casey cut him off, furiously.

"I don't know."

"Do you have any idea what will happen if Walls creates that device? You shouldn't have come after me!" She yelled.

"I'm sorry, Casey!" Ben hollered back with a fierce gaze. "I... I just..."

"You just what?"

"I couldn't stand the thought of losing you!"

Casey shook her head at him, "I was fine!"

"You don't look fine." He said, indicating to her shoulder and tired physique.

"It doesn't matter. You still shouldn't have come."

"You're my partner, Casey. I _had_ to come."

"We're not discussing this anymore." Casey dismissed him with a wave of her hand and grabbed the rifle as she headed towards the door. "Look after Karma."

"You can't go after him alone!"

"I don't have a choice! He needs to be stopped now!"

"But you don't even know where he is!"

"I have an idea." She said and walked out before he could say anything else to try and dissuade her.

(=)

2:16 AM

Casey hid behind a cracked wall and peered around it at the four guards stationed outside the entrance to the lab that she remembered Kraemin bringing her to the other night. She wasn't sure how she was going to get past them without having to put up a fight. Usually a fight would be no problem but as much as Casey refused to acknowledge it, she knew the physical state her body was in wouldn't be able to take on four men at once.

"Hurry it up, you fool!" Haldega's voice shouted angrily from inside the lab, letting Casey know that he was for sure in there.

"I-I'm going as fast as I can." The German accent of Nicolas Walls replied shakily.

"Well it's not good enough! I have three secret agents on the loose in my building right now, so I suggest you speed it up before I take out one of your legs with a bullet!"

"Y-yes, Sir. I only have a few more modifications to make."

_Think, Casey; think... _She couldn't use the rifle to scare them away since she didn't want to tip Haldega off of her whereabouts... _I wish I had a tranquilizer gun... _A light bulb suddenly went off in her head as an idea came to the secret agent's mind. _I may not be able to take down four at once but two wouldn't be so bad..._

(=)

2:18

The four Russian guards stood at their posts where they'd been assigned to protect Haldega and not let a single soul inside the laboratory. They'd heard about the Canadian agents taking out their fellow men and knew to be extra cautious of an attack.

"Hello?" A lone voice called out from the ancient hallway ahead.

The men exchanged curious glances before one of them pointed silently with his rifle for two of them to go check it out.

"Hellooo?" The distant voice called out again.

"Ghosts...?" One of the men replied warily in Russian as he and his partner moved towards the hall with guns extended.

The remaining guards watched them disappear down the dark hallway and waited patiently for them to return.

"Where did they go?" The taller guard turned to his comrade after five minutes had gone by without their return.

"Go find out." The other shrugged.

"You find out."

"How about I just show you?" A woman's voice spoke in English from behind them, and before they could react, something hard had smashed into their heads and they collapsed to the ground as darkness clouded their vision.

(=)

2:26

"Well that was easy." Casey snickered to herself as she stepped over the unconscious Russians and stepped through the doorway of the lab.

"I... um... I-it's complete." Nicolas Walls stuttered nervously. He was standing at one of the various counters with a laptop sitting open in front of him.

"Let me see it!" Haldega exclaimed and rushed over to his side with a huge grin spread across his face.

Neither man had noticed her presence and Casey took this to her advantage as she crept over to the closest counter and ducked down behind it. She'd already assessed the situation and knew her enemy was holding a gun. If she wanted to take him down and protect the German scientist, then she'd need to remove the weapon from his possession immediately.

"Show me how it works." Haldega's voice snapped at the scientist.

"First, I want to know what you plan to do with it." Walls replied anxiously.

"I plan to become the most powerful man on this planet; now do as I say."

"I know how this works. Once I've shown you how to operate it, you'll have no more use for me and will end my life, so I'm not doing anything until I get some answers."

_BANG! _

Casey jumped behind the counter as a gun shot was fired and looked to see Nicolas Walls crying out in pain and clutching at his knee.

"You are correct, Mr. Walls. I do plan on killing you afterwards, but if you don't cooperate with me, I can guarantee it will be slow and painful." Haldega scowled down at the man as he pointed the gun at his other knee. "Now, should I shoot the other leg as well, or are you ready to stop talking back to me and do as I say?"

"No, no; please. I'll show you." The German scientist begged while holding his bloody knee. He turned the computer towards him and started typing on the keyboard as sweat began to drench his brow.

"Step away from the lap top!" Casey shouted as she stepped out from her hiding place and aimed the rifle at Haldega.

"Agent. McDonald," Haldega spoke with a raised brow, "I should've known you'd find a way in here."

"Put the gun down, Haldega, and take a step back."

"You won't shoot me." The man smirked at her. "It's against Agency policy and we all know how much of a keener you are to the rules."

"You don't know me." Casey growled through clenched teeth.

"Oh, but I do. In fact, I know everything about you; where you lived, where you went to school, who you're _related_ to..." He finished off with a sickening sneer.

"Shut up! You don't know_ anything_!"

"Then how exactly do you feel about your _stepbrother_... _Derek_?"

Casey's heart plummeted into her stomach as her grip on the gun loosened just a fraction at hearing Derek's name come out of her enemy's mouth.

"You two were forced to live together at the hormonal age of fifteen, right?" Haldega continued to talk, knowing he'd hit a sensitive spot. "That must've been _interesting_."

"Don't talk about him." Casey breathed out, trying to keep her cool even though she was freaking out on the inside.

"Tell me, Casey; are your feelings for Derek _brotherly_ or _more_?"

"I told you to shut up!" Casey snapped viciously and tightened her grip on the gun pointed at him. "I may not agree with killing people, but that doesn't mean I won't place a bullet in you right now if you don't put down that gun and step away from the computer."

"Fine, fine." Haldega said as he raised his hands in the air and let the gun hang loosely around his right index finger. "I have one more thing to say though." He grinned mischievously.

"What?" Casey snapped with venom.

"Turn around."

"I'm not falling for your games!"

"This isn't a game, Casey." A familiar voice spoke from behind her.

The young agent's head began to spin in confusion as she turned her body at the sound of the voice and saw Phillip standing in the doorway with Derek; however the latter was down on his knees with his hands tied behind his back, a gag in his mouth and a gun pointed at his head.

"Phil?" Casey gasped out as tears of rage began to form in her eyes. "I... I trusted you..."

"You were right not to." Her former handler deadpanned with a grin.

_Click._

With a deep breath, Casey closed her eyes and lowered the rifle in her hands at the sound of a safety being turned off and the feeling of cold steel digging into the back of her head.

"I told you I knew you." Haldega breathed into her ear, causing bile to rise in her throat and Casey's stomach to wrench with dread.

* * *

><p><strong>WHAT? Did anyone see that coming? Even I didn't see that coming! Ok... I may have seen it coming... ;)<strong>

**What do you think will happen next? Will Casey still manage to get out of this situation? Please let me know your thoughts! **


	33. Chapter 33

**Here is another chapter! It's kinda more of a filler but it's still a good chapter with lots of action and a surprising ending... **

**Thanks for all the Reviews! **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 33<strong>

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

2:37

"Lower your weapon, Miss. McDonald, or your dear stepbrother gets a bullet in the head." Haldega sneered from behind her as he pressed the barrel of the gun into her skull, causing the young agent to wince from the pain.

Casey chose to ignore Derek's mumbled protests and pleading eyes as she glared with absolute hatred at Phil and dropped the rifle to the ground.

"Good girl." Haldega chuckled evilly in his thick French accent. "I'm delighted to have finally found your weakness."

"If you hurt him, I swear..." Casey growled but the man cut her off as he spun her around to face him, digging the gun into her bullet wounded shoulder. Casey hissed from the agony it was causing but didn't want to give him the satisfaction, so she clenched her jaw and kept her head straight.

"What are you going to do?" Haldega grinned viciously, knowing how much he was hurting her. "In case you haven't noticed, I've already won this battle. All I need now is for Mr. Walls to finish explaining the device and my plan will be complete. The world as we know it will be no more."

"You can't do this!" Casey shouted menacingly as she shoved his weapon away from her shoulder. "You're insane!"

_Wack! _

The left side of Casey's face stung from the blow Haldega delivered with his gun and she could hear Derek trying to yell through the gag in his mouth as she brought her tear-filled gaze back up to meet her adversary's cold eyes.

"You haven't won yet." She seethed.

"Tie her up and please put a gag in her mouth. Her determination disgusts me." Haldega commanded Phil just as seven Russian guards entered the room. "I have work to do and can't be bothered."

(=)

2:42 AM

Ben stared down at Karma as he smoothed the blonde locks from her face and begged her to wake up. He couldn't just leave her here but he also couldn't just leave his partner to fend for herself either. Casey was weak.

"Come on, Kar, please wake up! Casey needs us!"

It was no use. She was out cold.

"Damn it!" Ben cursed as he gently set Karma down on the ground and stood to his feet with clenched fists. "Damn it!"

He stared down at the young woman and back up at the door with a deep sigh. There was only one thing he could do.

Ben grunted as he knelt back down and hoisted Karma up over his good shoulder.

"1... 2... 3..." He counted under his breath before steadily standing to his feet and letting out a cry of pain from the newest bullet wound in his abdomen.

"You can do this, Blake." He ground out through clenched teeth as he balanced an unconscious Karma on his shoulder and began walking towards the door, despite the screaming protests from his injuries. "Casey needs you."

(=)

2:45 AM

_How did this happen?_ The one question that kept going through Derek's mind over and over as he was shoved into a corner of the lab and watched helplessly while his stepsister was bound and gagged by the same man who had brought him here, whom he thought he could trust, regardless of Casey's obvious hatred towards him.

_How did this happen?_

He remembered finally regaining his strength after almost being choked to death and asking Phil where he thought Casey would be and then suddenly being kicked in the head by the same man's boot. While disoriented, Phil kept muttering words like: "I'm sorry" and "You need to trust me" and "This is the only way", as he proceeded to tie Derek's hands behind his back and place a foul tasting gag in his mouth. The next thing the hockey player knew, Phil was holding a gun to his head while Haldega held a gun to Casey's head and forced her to surrender or he would be killed.

_How do I keep ending up as the helpless damsel in distress while Casey's the brave hero trying to save me? _He thought with a shake of his head.

Derek's gaze connected with Casey's for a brief moment as she was led to another corner of the room and forced to sit against the wall. He noticed that Phil couldn't even look into Casey's eyes as he tied her feet together and stood back up.

He'd never in his life seen his stepsister look as angry and as hurt as she did now. All he wanted to do was wrap her in his arms and whisper soothing words in her ear to comfort her. However, due to their current state, he could only speak with his eyes and show her the concern etched in them when she stared back.

Even though he loved her, he still couldn't understand why she would rather protect him than the rest of the world. Sure he was her stepbrother... but nothing more... at least in her eyes. So why did she keep giving in so quickly? The moment a gun was pointed at his head, Casey didn't even hesitate to concede to her enemy's demands.

Derek wanted to strangle the man named Greggor Haldega. He despised the fact that he couldn't do anything while the man abused the woman he loved right in front of him. It pained Derek more than anything to see someone cause damage to his Casey.

"Mr. Walls, now that we have our distractions under control, would you please mind finishing the demonstration?"

_Speak of the devil. _Derek thought bitterly as Haldega spoke to the man hunched over a laptop gripping his bleeding leg. He recognized him as the man Karma had saved in Germany.

Nicolas Walls looked up at Haldega with a red face and defiant eyes as he adjusted the glasses perched upon his nose and spoke, "You might as well kill me because I refuse to let you do this."

"So you suddenly have a backbone, huh?" Haldega sneered as he approached the man.

"I... I cannot let you use my creation for evil. I'd rather die than have the power of NicoTech in your hands."

_BANG! _

Derek flinched from the sound of a gun firing and looked to see that Haldega had shot Walls in the other leg. The poor German scientist was crying out now as he lay on the ground bleeding profusely from a second wound.

"Didn't I tell you that would happen if you chose to disobey me?" The evil man growled as he stood over Walls' form and pressed the gun against his right shoulder. "The next appendage to go will be your arm if you don't do as I say."

Derek glanced across at Casey to see her struggling against the rope around her wrists and ankles as she screamed through the gag in her mouth. Haldega ignored her as he grabbed the laptop from the counter and set it down in front of Nicolas.

"Finish it or I continue to fire holes into your body, which I can assure you, would be worse than death itself." Haldega commanded with his finger on the trigger.

"I'm sorry." Walls croaked out in shame as he glanced at Casey and back to the computer. "I'll do it."

"Make it quick then." Barked the man as the German scientist began to type furiously at the keyboard with blood covered fingers.

Haldega turned to address four of the guards standing in the room, "There are still two other secret agents in this building; find them and kill them."

"Da." The guards nodded and headed out the door with their rifles ready to shoot.

Casey began to fight against her bonds even more now as tears began flooding her eyes at the thought of her friends being murdered.

Derek couldn't stand watching her like this. He couldn't stand seeing the woman he loved in so much pain and grief.

_This wasn't how it was supposed to happen. The good guys always win. They have to! _He thought as he began struggling against his own ropes, the fibres biting into his skin and causing his wrists to burn.

_God, please help us get out of this!_

(=)

2:54 AM

Ben had no idea which way to go as he stood between two dark hallways leading in opposite directions of the abandoned Russian prison. He let out a grunt of pain as he tried to reposition the unconscious woman on his shoulder. He was losing his strength and knew he wouldn't be able to carry her though the halls much longer.

"Bluebird, where are you?" Ben muttered under his breath.

Suddenly his gaze connected with the forms of two guards headed his way on the right and he froze.

"Great, this is just what we need." He groaned and tried to think of a way out before they started to shoot him on the spot.

"Ok, Kar, I'm just gonna set you down while I attempt to dodge bullets and fight off two Russians." Ben said as he quickly laid the sleeping agent on the ground against a wall and readied himself with a deep sigh. "Wish me luck..."

"Don't move!" One of the guards yelled when they finally spotted him and hurried down the hall towards him.

"I really don't want any trouble, fellas." Ben spoke in Russian as he held his hands up in surrender.

"Drop the weapon!"

"You drop yours and I'll drop mine." The secret agent said with a cocked brow.

"Enough of this! Just shoot him!" The second guard snapped with irritation.

A feminine moan sounded from behind them and Ben cursed at his luck.

_Of course she chooses now to wake up._

The guards glanced over at the wall where Karma was slowly lifting her head and trying to open her eyes. Ben could see the lust already darkening their eyes as they roamed her petite figure with hunger.

"How about we kill him but take her for a little fun?" The second guard grinned as he motioned between the agents with his rifle.

"The boss said he wanted them both dead." The other guard spoke warily.

"Screw the boss! He's too busy in the lab to even notice. Plus he's got that other bitch already tied up and probably saving her for later."

Ben's eyes widened. They had to be talking about Casey. His gut wrenched at the thought of what that man could do to her. He told her not to go alone! Now she was tied up in some lab with him? Just great!

"Ben...?" Karma groaned out as she lifted her head to look at him. "W-what's going on?"

"Your friend, Ben, is about to die." The second guard sneered as he lifted his rifle and pointed it at the male agent's head. "Say goodbye, sweet cheeks."

"Goodbye." Ben smirked before he swung his fist and smashed it into the first guard's nose, causing him to stumble back in shock. He then kicked out his leg and knocked the other guard to the ground.

He grabbed the gun from the guard he'd kicked to the floor and fired a shot at the second guard's foot just as he was about to shoot him. The man cried out in pain as he began cursing profusely in his language.

"Now, those aren't polite words to be speaking in the presence of a woman." Ben clicked his tongue before colliding the butt end of the gun down on both men's heads.

"Ben, look out!" Karma shouted just as Benjamin turned and managed to dodge a bullet that was flying for his head.

"Damn it!" He cursed at the sight of two other guards racing down the opposite hall towards them. They must've heard the shot he'd fired.

"Karma, stay down!" Ben said as he pulled the trigger of the rifle in his hands and shot one of the men in the shoulder. However, they still continued to advance on them.

_BLAM! _

Another gun shot rang through the hallways and clanged off the wall adjacent to Ben's body.

He tried to fire again but lost control of the heavy weapon, due to the fact that he only had one good arm and it fell to the ground.

_WHOOSH!_

A bullet skimmed past his neck and Ben let out a hiss of pain. He tried to grab for the gun but another bullet smacked against the rifle, causing the secret agent to drop it with a yelp.

"Karma, run!" Ben shouted to his partner in training.

He was done for. He could only dodge the bullets for so long. His only thought now was to get Karma out of there before she died with him.

_BANG! BANG! _

Ben winced as two shots were fired and expected to feel immense pain ripping through his body... but none came. He opened his eyes to see the Russian guards on the ground and his body still intact.

"I... think I killed them..." Karma's voice wavered with guilt from behind him.

Ben spun around to the see the poor woman holding the other rifle in her hands and staring at the unmoving bodies in the distance.

"Kar..." He took a step towards her as he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"They were going to kill you... I... I didn't know what to do, so... so I just pulled the trigger." She began to weep as the gun fell from her hands and she tore her eyes away from the gruesome scene. "I didn't mean to, Ben. I didn't mean to kill them."

"It's not your fault." Ben tried to reassure her.

He had no idea what do to console a woman, let alone another agent. In the six years he'd worked with Casey, she'd never broken down in front of him. They were trained to keep their emotions in check at all times.

"The Agency is against murder and I... I just killed two men." Karma began to sob uncontrollably.

Ben couldn't take it anymore and did the only thing he could think of; he pulled the young agent into his arms and held her tight while she cried into his shoulder.

"You saved me, Kar. I don't give a crap what the Agency thinks. You saved my life." He whispered soothingly to her as he rubbed her back.

"Ben..." Karma spoke once her crying had turned down a notch and she pulled back to look into his eyes, "please tell me that Casey is safe and that Haldega has been defeated? Please tell me we can go home?"

Ben's breath hitched at the image of Casey tied up and he quickly shook his head as he stepped back from the distraught woman and stared down the two hallways once again.

"Casey's in trouble; we need to hurry."

"Do you know where she is?" Karma asked with concern, wiping away the last few stray tears with her forearm.

"I'm just gonna go with my gut and say we go right." Ben sighed as he bent to pick up the rifle Karma had dropped on the ground.

"Your gut would be wrong, Agent Blake." A familiar voice spoke from behind them that caused the hairs on Ben's neck to stand straight up.

"How the hell did you get here?" Benjamin questioned in shock as he spun around to come face-to-face with none other than Colonel Jaquin Kluess.

* * *

><p><strong>So we are getting very close to the end. Only a few more chapters to go. It will be a very bitter sweet ending. <strong>

**Thanks for reading and reviewing; as well as favouriting, etc. It means a lot.**

**Please feel free to leave a review for this chapter or the whole story in general. I really, really like reviews. It excites me to know what you think of my creativeness. **


	34. Chapter 34

**I have been trying to update this story for almost a week now but my stupid laptop has refused to connect to our wifi properly! It finally decided to work today and even though it's being extremely slow, I can at least upload the next chapter. I'm pretty sure there's only two more chapters to go, which is good because I'm running out of free time to write this. I just started a new job and my band has been doing a lot of shows lately, so yeah. Life is picking up, which is very exciting!**

**Thanks for reading; and those of you who have reviewed, I appreciate it so much! **

**Let me know your thoughts!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 34<strong>

_Russia_

_Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison_

3:18 AM

Casey struggled against the ropes tightly bound against her wrists behind her back. The position she was in made the bullet wound in her shoulder unbearable and she could feel the fabric of the rope cutting into her skin and causing it to burn but she continued to fight; she needed to get free and stop Haldega before it was too late.

Her gaze swept across the room and landed on her stepbrother who seemed to have the same idea as he struggled against his own bonds, trying desperately to get free. He must've felt her eyes on him because he stopped what he was doing and returned her look. His eyes were misted over and Casey could feel her heart begin to beat rapidly from the intensity in his gaze. He was trying to tell her something and she hoped it was what she was thinking.

The sound of gun shots being fired somewhere in the building suddenly broke their silent conversation and Casey's stomach now twisted in dread. She prayed to God that those bullets had missed their targets and that her partners were okay.

The young agent glanced over at Phillip who was standing on the other side of Haldega watching the German scientist type away at the keyboard from where he sat on the ground bleeding out from both legs. She could tell that the man was getting weak due to the blood loss and it wouldn't be long before he passed out.

"Keep going!" Haldega commanded Walls when he'd stopped to press a bloodied hand to his right leg with a hiss of pain.

The scientist muttered an insult in German as sweat began dripping from his brow and he let go of his leg to continue typing against his will.

Casey felt terrible. It was her fault the poor man was even there. If she hadn't managed to get herself kidnapped, then none of this would've happened. If she hadn't trusted Phil once again, then maybe Derek wouldn't be here either. Now, because of her foolishness, Nicolas Walls, her friends, _Derek_, and everyone else in the world were going to die.

_No, Casey! You can't give up! _She chided herself. _You can still save everyone! _

More shots were heard in the distance and that's all it took for her to begin struggling even harder against the ropes, not caring if it was ripping into her flesh. They were running out of time and there was no way she was letting Haldega win.

(=)

_Four Years Ago_

_Downtown Kingston, Ontario_

_4:57 PM_

"_Congratulations, Agents. The Agency and every other secret operation around the globe can't thank you enough for what you did." Colonel Jaquin Kluess beamed as he shook the hands of his two new head spies of R.E.D. "You saved our lives and we are eternally grateful."_

_ Casey McDonald and Benjamin Blake nodded solemnly as the whole room erupted into clapping and rejoicing on their behalf. They had no idea that such a ceremony was to take place as they stepped into the town hall meeting room to be honoured by their fellow agents and work companions._

_ Three weeks ago, Casey thought her life was over. She and her partner were stranded in an unknown country. They'd found a helicopter hidden near the entrance to the underground tunnels and were able to get it going due to Ben's photographic memory from watching a documentary on aviations and how to fly. The machine soon ran out of gas and they ended up in a small village, discovering they were in the mountains of Asia._

_ Once they'd managed to contact the Canadian Government Agency and convince them of their story and identities, they were flown out of Asia and back home where Benjamin went to work, along with many hired scientists, to figure out the antidote formula; within a couple days, every infected secret agent around the globe was injected with the cure and indebting their lives to the two rookie agents from R.E.D. _

_ Now, as Casey stood next to her handsome partner and stared at all the beaming faces before them, only one person seemed to cross her mind. Derek. _

_ She hadn't talked to her stepbrother since she'd returned. He was angry with her for again not telling him that she was "going out of town on a job assignment". She wished more than ever now that she could tell him her secret; she hated having him disappointed with her._

_ "You alright, Bluebird?" Ben whispered in her ear, noticing the frown plastering her face. "I thought you'd be ecstatic right now; something on your mind?"_

_ "It's nothing. I think I might just head home soon. It's been a long couple of weeks and I really need some rest." Casey replied with a shrug._

_ "I know what you mean." Her partner sighed. "Saving the world definitely comes with its price."_

Including lying to those you care about. _Casey thought with distaste._

"_I'm glad to be fighting with you at my side at least." Ben smiled down at her with a wink in his eye._

"_The same to you." Casey nodded with a slight blush. _

_A part of her still wondered what it would be like to feel his lips against hers again because no matter how much she denied it, she couldn't help but find her partner incredibly attractive. She understood the risk of getting involved though; they both did, so they would just have to ignore those feelings if they wanted to keep their job professional. She was hoping they would eventually just fade away._

"_You still have any doubts about being a spy, Agent McDonald?" A deep but calming voice spoke from behind her and Casey turned to see Colonel Kluess grinning from ear-to-ear._

"_You're stuck with me, Colonel, so you better get used to it." Casey grinned back jokingly._

_Her superior laughed; his white teeth glistening against his dark skin as the scar on his left cheek wrinkled from the upturn of his mouth. _

_After he'd awaken, Colonel Kluess had Casey and Ben debrief him on everything that had happened, including the betrayal and death of Agent Greenwood. He was devastated when he found out about Phil being a double-agent. The two of them had been friends and it hurt him, just as much as it hurt Casey, to think of what he'd done. They decided to keep his reason of death on the down-low. To anyone else working at R.E.D. Phillip Greenwood had died a hero._

"_I really am proud of you." Kluess spoke with sincerity as he placed his large hand on her shoulder. "Both of you." He nodded at Ben who was still standing at Casey's side. "You're the best damn rookies I've ever known and I can't wait to see what you can accomplish in the years to come."_

"_Thank you, Sir." Ben and Casey replied in unison._

_They were then interrupted as more fellow agents and co-workers began making their way towards them to shake the hands of their new heroes and motivators._

_An hour later, Casey was finally able to escape out the back door after shaking a few more hands, and prayed to God that no one would notice her absence until it was too late. All she wanted was to go home and relax for the rest of the night, and get away from the chaos that had become her life._

_The young agent pulled her car up to the front of her apartment building and immediately recognized the hunched over, shaggy haired figure sitting on the steps outside. She was surprised to see him as she quickly parked the car and made her way towards her stepbrother._

_ "Derek?" Casey spoke hesitantly once she'd stopped in front of him._

_ He looked up at her, obviously not expecting her to show up so early in the evening and let out a sigh, "Hey, Case."_

_ "What are you doing out here?"_

_ "Can I come inside?" He asked as he stood up, now towering over her. _

_ "Is everything okay? Is the family fine?" Casey's mind began to worry. _Why else would Derek be here? I thought he was mad at me...

_"It's nothing like that. I just wanted to talk." He dismissed her with a wave as she unlocked the door and he stepped past her into the lobby._

_ "You're such a gentleman." Casey snorted with sarcasm as she grabbed the door before it closed on her face. _

_ Derek ignored her comment and headed straight for the staircase that led to the third floor._

_ "So what did you want to talk about?" Casey questioned once they were inside her apartment and she began to remove her coat and shoes._

_ Derek was about to reply when he suddenly noticed the packing boxes littering her floor and looked at her with a raised brow._

_ "Are you moving?"_

_ "Yes." Casey answered. "My job is relocating to Toronto."_

_ After the Potion X attack on R.E.D. the Agency decided it was best to tear down the remains of the infected building and re-group in a new establishment. She'd just been informed the other day of the latest building's location and didn't hesitate to start packing and find a new apartment in the big city._

_ Derek scoffed bitterly, "Yet another thing you didn't care to mention to me?" _

_ "I would have if you'd return my calls." Casey snapped in defence. _

_ "I've been busy." Derek shrugged. "It's not like the happenings of _my_ life matter to you anymore anyway."_

_ Casey frowned and took a step towards him as she raised her voice, "In case you haven't noticed, my whole life doesn't center on you, Derek!" _

_ The distraught hockey player ran a hand through his hair with a sigh as he looked back at her with pain in his eyes, "I know that, Casey, but for the past few months now, you've been obsessed about this job of yours. You cancel plans on me last minute, you go out of town without telling me..."_

_ "It's not like we're dating, Derek. It shouldn't matter that much to you whether I'm out of town for a few days or not."_

_ "Well it does matter!" He suddenly exclaimed with his hands clenched at his sides._

_ Casey was caught off guard by his outburst and quietly shook her head in confusion as she spoke softly, "Why?"_

_ Derek began pacing the room as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his forefinger and thumb, searching for the right words to say._

_ "I... I don't know... I just... You're all I have here, Case. I mean, we came here together and I admit that I see you as a... friend... maybe my best friend even. I guess I've just gotten so used to having you here that I... I miss you when you're gone."_

_ Casey sucked in a breath, not sure how to respond to her stepbrother's confession. Derek had never been so open with her before and it kind of scared her. _

_ "Derek..." She began to say but his expression suddenly hardened and he turned away from her._

_ "I'm moving as well." He deadpanned with his back to her. _

_ "Oh?" Casey sucked in a breath at the sudden change in topic._

_ "I took the offer to play for Vancouver; I leave in the morning." He once again faced her but kept his gaze to the floor._

_ "I'm surprised. I would've thought you'd pick Toronto since it's so close to home." Casey spoke while his revelation began to take affect in her mind and her heart rate began to pick up speed._

_ Derek was moving across the country. _

_ He shrugged his shoulders indifferently, "I almost did, but then changed my mind."_

_ "How come?"_

_ She had a feeling she already knew the answer but wanted to hear him say it. _

_ He looked up at her and she could see the truth in his eyes, even though he replied with, "I like the mountains."_

_ Casey sighed. She knew she'd been unfair to him these past few months but if he had any idea what her "job" entitled, then he wouldn't be so upset with her. She had no choice but to put her job first. If she didn't, then _he_ wouldn't even be here right now. _

_ "Besides, in couple of years, the Maple Leafs will be begging to have me." Derek spoke up with a slight grin on his face, immediately breaking the awkward tension in the room. _

_ Casey nodded, "With that ego, I wouldn't put it past them." She joked with a forced smile. _

_ Their eyes connected for a moment and for some reason it sent shivers down Casey's spine and butterflies to fill her stomach. She quickly averted her gaze and looked at the door behind him; wishing more than ever that she could tell him her secret, maybe then he wouldn't be moving so far away..._

_ "Well... uh... I should go. I have a few more things to pack before I catch my flight in the morning." Derek cleared his throat while running a hand through his reddish-brown waves. "I'll let you know when we have a game in TO and I can crash at your new place." He winked before heading towards the exit._

_ "Derek, wait," Casey said as she grabbed his arm. "Do you want to go for one last dinner before you leave?" She breathed out nervously. "I promise that my job won't intervene this time." She added when she noticed the hesitance in his eyes._

_ "Italian?" He finally spoke up with a raised brow and a smirk._

_ Casey smiled with relief as she grabbed her purse and nudged him out the door. On the inside she felt like a part of her was being removed at the thought of this being their last dinner together in a long time. Derek was moving away, and it was her fault._

(=)

Present Time

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

3:23 AM

"It is complete." Nicolas Walls spoke with a defeated sigh and before he could utter another word his body fell over and he was rendered unconscious.

Haldega nudged the German's side with his boot and let out a snort of indifference, "No point in finishing him off. He'll die from lack of blood soon enough anyway." He shrugged as he grabbed the bloody laptop from the scientist's lap and set it back on top of the counter.

"What exactly did he just complete on there?" Phillip asked gesturing towards the computer.

"The QT7 chip and NicoTech have been linked together, thus allowing me access to every liquid distribution service in the country." Haldega grinned maliciously.

Casey gasped through the disgusting gag in her mouth from where she continued to struggle against her binds in the corner. She'd seen what the new Potion X was capable of and Haldega planned to release it into the world's water sources and liquids. No one would know the difference; the deadly poison was invisible. It would affect millions by the end of the week.

"That's right, Agent McDonald." Haldega turned to her with a sneer when he saw the terror in her eyes. "The world won't know what hit em' until it's too late."

Casey glared right back at him as he crossed the room to a wall of refrigerators and opened one up. She bit back a grimace as the rope finally loosened enough that she could pull her chafed wrists free from their hold and kept up a straight face when the evil man took out a tiny vial in his hand and a cup of water.

"All I have to do is click a button on this keyboard and the virus will begin to ravage every bottle of water, soda, juice, milk, you name it, and then the rest of the population will be coming to me for answers because I will be the only one who can stop it." Haldega announced wickedly as he poured the vial's contents into the glass of water and swished it around.

"Besides that poor vagabond that was caught snooping around my lair, I've decided upon bestowing the honour of being the first man to be infected by my creation to Mr. Venturi, the hockey star." Haldega said as he began to make his way towards Derek who was now wrestling more than ever against his ropes and glancing at Casey with panic stricken eyes.

"Don't worry, Mr. Venturi, it will only hurt for a moment. Now drink up." The twisted man spoke mockingly as he knelt down in front of Derek and removed the gag from his mouth.

"No!" Derek cried out with a husky voice due to the dry rag being in his mouth for so long and absorbing all of his saliva. He tried to fight against the man but it was impossible with his bound limbs.

Casey knew it was now or never as she quickly pulled the gag from her mouth, untied her feet and lunged towards the other side of the room before Haldega could pour the deadly liquid down her stepbrother's throat.

"Leave him alone!" The young secret agent screamed as she crashed into him, sending the cup of infected water to smash against the cemented floor.

Haldega looked up at her with fury engulfing his vision as he swung out his leg and knocked his nemesis from her feet. Casey rolled to the side before he could bring his fist down on her head. The both of them stood at the same time and caught sight of his gun on the floor next to the spilt potion.

"Casey!" Derek yelled with concern as she and the French man moved for the weapon at the same time.

Casey punched Haldega in the jaw as she reached forward and wrapped her hand around the cold metallic object. However, before she could take a step back, the evil man gripped her wrist and twisted it behind her back, eliciting an agonized shriek from the wounded agent. She tried to wrestle free from his hold but it only caused her shoulder to scream in torture all the more. She'd never felt such pain in her life and she couldn't take it anymore as she loosened her grip on the gun and let it drop into her enemy's hand.

"I underestimated you yet again." Haldega sneered indignantly as he released her arm and she spun around to face him. "I should've just killed you when I had the chance." He said while wiping blood from his lip.

"I won't let you do this." Casey growled at him while cradling her offended arm with tears falling down her face.

"Don't you ever give up?" He roared with laughter. "In case you haven't noticed, you're weak and I have a gun pointed at your head."

"And in case _you _haven't noticed, _I _have a gun pointed at _your _head." Phillip Greenwood's voice unexpectedly spoke from behind him and Haldega turned around to see the barrel of a rifle staring him down.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading my story! It excites me that you enjoy it so much! <strong>

**Please leave a Review and let me know your thoughts; they're definite motivators and make me happy. **

**I will try to update really soon, especially since I pretty much know how I want to end it. **

**For those who are Canadian , I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!**


	35. Chapter 35

**Another update already? Yes! **

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Warning: This chapter contains violence and graphic descriptions. Maybe even tears...**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 35<strong>

Russia

Akatuy Katorga Abandoned Prison

3:34 AM

"I should've known you still had a weak spot for her." Haldega scowled at the man who'd just double-crossed him and was now pointing a gun at his head.

"Drop the gun, Gregor, and step back." Phillip Greenwood ordered with a fierce expression.

"My men should be coming around that corner any minute. Do you really think it'd be wise to kill me?"

"I'm not going to kill you - even though you deserve it. Now drop the weapon and move away." Phil raised his voice.

"Have you been against me the whole time?" Haldega ignored his directions and questioned the former agent.

Casey glanced at her stepbrother who displayed the same equally bewildered expression on his face as she demanded to know, "Phil, what's going on?"

"I'll explain later." Phil said to her and turned his attention back to the French man who was refusing to obey orders. "Do as I say or I will shoot your knees just like you did to Mr. Walls."

"Answer my question and we'll see." He shrugged nonchalantly.

"You already know the answer. I was against this plan since the first time you proposed it to me four years ago and I still am. I only pretended to go along with it, so that you wouldn't figure out my true intentions."

"You bastard." Haldega spit callously.

"Now, I'm only going to ask you once more; drop the gun." Phil ground out through clenched teeth.

"Fine." Haldega sneered.

Casey saw what was coming before it even happened as her enemy raised his gun and aimed it at Derek's form still bound against the ropes. She cried out and despite her weariness and shoulder injury, the secret agent dived forward and shoved the man she loved out of the way just as a bullet smashed into the wall above them, piercing her eardrums and causing debris to litter her body.

_BANG!_ Another shot was fired and Casey raised her head to see Phil and Haldega wrestling for control of the rifle.

"Casey, you're crushing my man parts." A strangled voice spoke from below her.

The secret agent rolled off of her stepbrother's body with an apology and began to quickly untie his hands and feet.

"Once I finish untying you, Derek, you need to take that laptop and find Ben. He'll know how to deactivate the link that Walls created between NicoTech and the QT7 chip."

"I'm not leaving you!" Derek exclaimed as he rubbed his sore and rope burnt wrists.

"I'll be fine!"

"No!" He shook his head. "You're in no condition to fight, Case. We don't even know if Ben is still alive. Let Phil handle this and let's get out of here!"

"He _is_ still alive and you're going to find him! Now go!" Casey shouted as she pushed him to his feet.

"You don't understand," Derek said as he grabbed her by the hands. "I _can't _leave you, Case."

"Yes you can; you _have _to!"

"I love you!" He suddenly blurted out.

Casey wasn't sure she'd heard correctly over the noise of the two men fighting behind them. _Did Derek just say he loves me? _Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she stared into his wide and terrified brown eyes. He'd definitely said it. It was written all over his face. _Derek loves me._

"Derek, I..." Before Casey could finish her sentence there was a commotion from one of the entrances as Russian guards began piling into the room. She turned back to her stepbrother and gripped him by the shoulders as she gazed desperately into his eyes. "Grab the laptop and run. The last time I saw Ben, he was in a room a few halls down on the right."

"Casey..." Derek shook his head.

Before he could say another word, Casey pressed her lips against his. It was a quick kiss due to the armed men now approaching them, but it still set off a fire in her belly and caused her to tingle all over. Yep, she was definitely in love.

"I'll hold them off as long as I can." Casey spoke with fresh tears in her eyes as she pulled away from her stepbrother, who was staring wide eyed and headed towards the guards across the room before he could stop her.

"Kill them!" Haldega bellowed while blocking another blow from Phillip and circling around him.

Casey glanced behind her one last time to see Derek grabbing the laptop from the counter and tucking it under his arm. He looked back at her with a look of determination and that was all she needed before she reached the first guard, jumped in the air and knocked him to the ground with a kick to the head.

(=)

3:41 AM

Derek hated having to leave Casey behind, especially after what just happened between them. He'd told her he loved her. She kissed him. Did that kiss mean she felt the same way? These thoughts circled his mind as he ran down the dimly lit hallway, clutching the bloody laptop under his arm, in search of Casey's partner.

"Don't move!" A deep but slightly familiar voice shouted from the shadows ahead.

Derek cursed, praying to God that it wasn't any guards. He was nowhere near physically trained to take on men with guns. He'd almost died trying to fight off that ugly beast, Kraemin.

"Derek?" A very familiar voice spoke as Benjamin Blake stepped out of the shadows along with Karma and Colonel Kluess.

"Ben!" Derek exclaimed. "I was sent to find you!" He hurried towards the R.E.D. agents and handed the laptop to the blonde headed man, who raised a befuddled eyebrow in exchange.

"What are you doing here?"

"We don't have time for that right now."

"Where's Casey?" Karma asked with a wary expression.

"And what did you just place in my hands?" Ben added as he studied the computer and grimaced at the blood staining his hands.

"Casey's back in the lab fighting off guards. She sent me to find you so that you could undo what Nicolas Walls did in the computer with the NicoTech device and the Q...T... something..." He scratched his head, trying to remember the correct name.

"What about Haldega; where is he?" The Colonel questioned with a grim expression.

"Fighting Phil." Derek answered and then gave the large man a confused look. "When did you get here?"

Kluess shook his head in frustration as he gripped Derek's shoulders and took on a commanding tone, "Who is Phil?"

"Apparently he used to work for you... He said he was good, then he was bad, and then he was good again... The guy's complex."

"How is this possible?" His eyes grew wide with shock as he glanced at an equally stunned Benjamin.

"I don't know, but we need to hurry. Casey's weak and won't be able to hold off those guards much longer." Derek said as he motioned back down the hall he'd come from.

Kluess nodded and turned to address his agents, "Agent Blake, do you think you can work out the problem on the computer?"

Ben had already opened the laptop and began to read the screen. He nodded hesitantly. "I'm no scientist but I'll do my best."

"Good enough." He nodded, then turned towards the young agent-in-training, "Agent Hesston, I need you to head back to the lab with Mr. Venturi while I make a call to the other agents waiting outside the perimeters."

"You brought other agents?" Derek asked with surprise.

"You didn't think I'd come into a heavily guarded facility to rescue three of my best agents without back-up, did you?"

"If you didn't come with them," the hockey player spoke, gesturing towards Ben and Karma, "then how did you find this place?"

"Every R.E.D. agent has a tracking device embedded in their necks. When I realized what Agents Blake and Hesston were up to, I located their signals and high-tailed it on a jet with twelve other agents instantly. Now enough with the Q & A. Go help Agent McDonald before we're too late."

Derek didn't waste any time and took off running with Karma right behind him.

(=)

3:41 AM

Casey ducked just as a fist was swung at her face and brought her own fist up to clip her assailant's jaw. She groaned as the second guard managed to punch her in the gut and tried blocking the third guard's attack at her neck. She spun around and jumped off the floor just missing another blow to her body and kicked the fourth man in the chest, causing him to stumble back with a grimace.

There were too many of them and she knew she couldn't keep this up forever. Tears were already fighting to escape from the immense pain she was in, but she continued to block and dodge every chance she got, throwing in a hit here and there.

She heard a struggle coming from behind and let her eyes wander towards the sound to see Haldega holding Phil in a headlock, while her former handler fought to get loose.

Suddenly a heavy fist collided with her face and another caught her in the back. Before she could defend herself, one of the guards shoved her to the ground and put pressure on her wounded shoulder. Casey cried out, no longer able to stand the unbearable pain. She could feel her vision clouding over and knew she was about to pass out. This was the end.

She thought she heard a voice calling her name and twisted her head just enough to see Derek tackle one of the men to the ground and Karma advancing on another one.

"You will not win!" Haldega's thick French accent bellowed from across the room and Casey glanced over to see Phil on his knees in surrender as Haldega aimed the rifle at his head.

"No!" Casey screamed.

She couldn't let Phil die. Even after he'd betrayed her numerously, she couldn't just sit back and let him be killed a second time. She wouldn't.

Strength she didn't think she had left in her suddenly emerged as the secret agent brought her leg up and smashed her foot into the groin of the guard forcing her down. Her captor winced in agony as he released her to clutch at his aching man-parts and dropped to the ground. Casey got to her feet and smashed her foot against his head to knock him out, and then hurriedly made her way in the direction of her enemy before he killed Phil.

"This time, you _will _die, Greenwood." Haldega said with a sneer as he began to squeeze the trigger.

"Stop!" Casey demanded and the French man spun around to see her pointing his own gun at him.

"You won't shoot me." Haldega scoffed.

"It wouldn't be the first time she's shot someone." Phil warned with his hands still raised.

"You really think that you, a wounded woman, a hockey player, an agent in training, and a spineless backstabber can defeat me?" Haldega laughed out loud as he mocked Casey.

"I will do whatever it takes to prevent you from harming this world."

"Even dying?" He quirked a brow with a sly grin, and swivelled around to point the rifle at her.

"Casey, no!" Phil shouted and raced to his feet just as Haldega pulled the trigger.

_BANG!_

Casey felt something hard smash into her chest as she fell against the cemented floor, hitting her head in the process. Her vision began to blur and she saw red outlining the fabric of Phil's shirt as he hovered above her.

"Casey!" Derek's voice hollered from somewhere around them.

"Ph... Phil?" Casey managed to speak as she stared into the panicked eyes of her Handler.

Two hands gripped Phil under the arms and pulled him off of the young agent. Derek's face then came into view as he placed his hand on her cheek and inspected her body for any damage.

"Case? You alright? Casey, stay with me." Derek kept talking but all Casey could think about was the red stain that had started forming on Phil's shirt.

"Derek, he's been shot!" Karma's voice shouted from behind as she pressed her hands to the bullet wound in Phillip's chest.

"Phil..." Casey moaned and tried to sit up but Derek held her down.

"You hit your head pretty hard, Case; Karma will take care of him." Her stepbrother said as he wiped at the tears streaming from her eyes. "Don't worry."

"Actually, _I'd_ worry if I was you." Haldega's voice said from above them as he pointed the weapon at Derek's head. "Now tell me what you did with my laptop, or there _will_ be serious consequences."

Derek heard the click of several rifles surrounding them and realized that more guards had appeared and were circling the foursome.

"Your laptop is getting a little repair job done to it at the moment." Derek answered with a smirk. "It contained a virus that would've infected the world and we can't have that, now can we?"

Haldega growled and advanced on Derek, digging the gun into his temple and causing the young hockey star to wince in pain.

"Tell me where it is!"

"Leave him alone." Casey groaned out weakly as she tried to make a move but could barely lift her head without feeling nausea sweep her body.

"Your plan failed, Haldega. Give it up." Derek grinned up at the man, despite the barrel of a rifle being shoved into his skull.

"You," Haldega pointed to one of the soldiers and ordered, "get me a vial from the refrigerator."

The man didn't waste any time and immediately did as he was told. He tossed the tiny vial of clear liquid towards his boss and the evil man caught it in his hand with a sneer.

"Tell me where the laptop is or I force this down her throat." He threatened as he opened the vial and began inching towards Casey's face.

"Don't tell him, Derek!" Casey shook her head with pleading eyes.

"You have three seconds, Venturi, or your precious stepsister is dead."

Derek stared into Casey's tear stained eyes knowing there was no way he could watch her suffer under that man's potion.

"1..."

He glanced back at Karma who was watching the whole scene with a terror stricken face and then down at Phil who was coughing out blood but nevertheless shaking his head in defiance.

"2..."

He'd finally confessed his feelings for Casey and she possibly felt the same way back... but now she was going to die at the hands of this evil man and it would be his fault.

"3." Haldega said and tilted the vial towards Casey's lips.

"It is finished, Haldega!" A booming voice bellowed and every eye turned to see Colonel Jaquin Kluess standing in the doorway as a dozen armed secret agents came pouring into the room behind him. "Give yourself up!"

"Never!" Haldega swore and just as he was about to pour the vile liquid down Casey's throat, Derek let out a cry and lunged at the man.

The rifle flew from his grasp and Haldega landed hard on his back with a groan. The vial of potion was still clutched tightly in his hand and when he moved to attack Derek, the open bottle tipped forward and dumped onto his face.

"Ahhh!" The French man cried out as a few drops landed in his mouth and his formula began to take effect on his own body almost instantly.

Derek stepped back and watched in horror while the man began gasping for air and a white substance began to flood from his mouth and cover his entire face in a matter of minutes. It was the most grotesque sight Derek had ever witnessed.

"Phil..." Derek heard Casey say and spun around to see that his stepsister had moved to her former handler's side and was clutching his hand while Karma continued to try and stop the bleeding. "We need a medic!" Casey gasped out through tears.

"The medics are on their way, Agent McDonald." Colonel Kluess spoke as he stared down at Phillip Greenwood as if he was looking at a ghost.

"A medic won't do me any good, Casey." Phil coughed out.

"No, don't say that." Casey shook her head in denial.

"Before... I go... I want you to... know the truth." He spoke in between coughing up more blood. "I... was always... on your side."

"What are you talking about?"

"I... had taken an oath. I worked for a secret... affiliation... under strict guidelines. It was above... R.E.D. and any other... Agencies."

"What are you talking about?"

He began coughing even harder as sweat drenched his forehead.

"Phil?" Casey persisted. She needed to know what he meant.

"The combination is 05... 17, 23, and... 08."

"What?"

He gazed deeply into her eyes as tears began pouring out and he held her hand tightly in his, "I'm so proud... of you, Casey. I'm sorry I... had to... lie to you. You were the...best... agent I ever... trained."

"Phil, don't go!" Casey pleaded. "Stay with me."

"The medics are here!" Karma exclaimed as six men and women appeared in the doorway, led by Dr. Reinhardt from the Agency clinic.

"Just hold on, Phil! They can help you." Casey said to the man whom she no longer felt any hatred towards. All she wanted was for him to live. "I won't let you die again!"

He opened his mouth to say something else but before any words could come out, Phillip's head lolled to the side and he became still.

"Phil?" Casey gasped out as she shook his shoulder. "Phil!"

Dr. Reinhardt rushed to his side and checked his pulse. She then looked up at Casey and shook her head sadly, "He's gone."

"No!" Casey began to weep as she turned from the body of her mentor and Derek immediately wrapped his arms around her in a soothing embrace while she cried into his shoulder.

"What was the combination he was referring to?" Ben questioned with a sorrowful look. He was still baffled as to how Agent Greenwood was even there. Casey had obviously been keeping something from him and that struck a sore spot.

"I don't know." Casey spoke through tears.

"I think_ I_ do." Derek answered and every head turned his way.

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry if I made you cry, or if you're upset with me for killing Phil. I was hesitant about having Phil die, but in the end, I decided it had to happen. Sometimes a writer has to make tough decisions. Sigh. <strong>

**Please Review! I'd really love to know your thoughts, especially since the story is almost done. It would make ending it, that much better. **

**Thanks for Reading!**


	36. Chapter 36

**So this chapter is more of a filler, just to prepare you for the ending. One chapter left and then an epilogue.**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing. You guys Rock!**

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><p><strong>Chapter 36<strong>

Four Days Later

R.E.D. Headquarters

Toronto, Ontario

9:32 AM

"How is she?" Derek Venturi questioned the moment he was greeted by Agents Blake and Hesston in the lobby of the R.E.D. building.

"She's stable." Ben replied with a relieved expression as he shook Derek's hand with his non-injured arm. "Dr. Reinhardt said we could see her any time."

"Then let's go." Derek spoke hurriedly as he began to usher the pair towards the elevators.

"You know what she's going to ask the moment you enter that room, right?" Ben said while they waited for the elevator to arrive.

The young hockey player nodded solemnly, "Yes."

"Do you have it?"

"Not at the moment."

"Did you open it?"

"To be honest, I can't even remember the code."

Ben chuckled, "Well luckily for you, I have a photographic memory."

"Seriously?" Derek's eyebrows raised in amusement and disbelief.

"I swear on my mother's grave." He said crossing his heart.

"Your mother's still alive." Karma rolled her eyes at him with a smirk. "She lives in Alberta."

Ben turned to her with a surprised look, "How do you know that?"

"I read your file." She grinned.

Ben was about to reply but the door _dinged_ and opened up for them to step inside.

"Good morning, Agent Blake, Agent Hesston, and Mr. Venturi." Chip's voice responded after scanning them.

"Please take us to the Medical facility, Chip." Ben requested.

"As you wish, Agent Blake."

The elevator began to ascend upwards and Derek couldn't help but let his mind wander to thoughts of his stepsister. She'd given them quite the scare back in Russia. He hadn't been able to sleep the past couple days since they'd flown back home. The concern had been eating him alive.

They arrived on the seventeenth floor where the medical facility was located and Derek made a bee-line for the front desk the minute the elevator doors opened.

"Excuse me, can you tell me where Casey McDonald is situated?" Derek asked the young woman seated before him.

"What's your name?" She questioned, barley acknowledging his presence.

"Derek Venturi."

She typed the name in and peered at the screen with a frown, "You're not in the database. Do you have clearance to be up here?" She finally looked at him, noting his dishevelled appearance and unkempt attire.

"He's with me." Ben's voice spoke up from behind.

"Oh, Agent Blake, I'm sorry; I didn't realize." The woman blushed abashedly.

"It's ok. We're here to see Agent McDonald."

"She's straight down the hall and to your left; room 22."

"Thank you." Ben smiled, causing the young woman's cheeks to turn an even darker shade of pink.

Derek didn't waste any time and hurried down the hall the moment he heard the room number. He stopped at the door and knocked a couple of times.

"Come in." A voice that caused his heart to beat rapidly replied from inside.

He opened the door and immediately saw a banged up Casey perched on a hospital bed. Bruises and cuts marked her beautiful skin, and a sling hung around her right arm where she'd been shot. Nonetheless, she still managed to stun the young hockey player with her presence.

"Derek." She breathed out with a reassured smile the moment their eyes connected.

"Hey, Case." Derek returned with an upturn of his mouth while rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

Three days ago, he'd confessed his true feelings for this woman and he still had no idea if she returned them or not. He took a step towards her but stopped when a voice spoke behind him.

"Hey, Bluebird, we match." Ben joked while entering the room, gesturing towards his own injured arm hanging in a sling.

Casey laughed with a nod of her head, "We really are a dynamic duo."

"How are you feeling?" Karma asked as she approached the young agent's bed and sat down.

"Sore," Casey sighed, "but it could be worse."

"Do you remember what happened to you?"

"I have no idea how I ended up back in Toronto, if that's what you're asking."

"You passed out, Case." Derek spoke up and moved to stand beside the bed as concern flashed in his eyes at the memory.

"I did?"

He nodded, "You've been in a coma for three days."

Casey didn't know what to think. Dr. Reinhardt had told her the same information when she'd first woken up but it still seemed surreal.

"What happened to Phil?" Casey's expression darkened at the thought of her former handler and friend. His death was the last memory she had from that night and she was still in shock over it.

"We brought his body back to Canada. There will be a ceremony held in his honour next week." Ben answered with a frown. His gaze met hers and Casey knew something was bothering him.

_He knows I kept Phil a secret from him. _Casey thought guiltily.

She decided to change the subject and averted her eyes from his as she once again looked at her stepbrother, the man she was in love with.

"I do remember one thing before passing out." She said with an inquisitive expression. Derek instantly perked up. "You mentioned knowing something about the combination Phil referred to."

"Oh, yes," Derek nodded. He then glanced at the other two secret agents in the room, silently telling them that they needed some time alone. They got the hint immediately.

"I'm gonna go see if the coffee machine works around here." Ben cleared his throat.

"Yeah, I could really use a French Vanilla. Do you guys want anything?" Karma added.

Casey and Derek both shook their heads, "No thanks."

"We'll be right back then." Casey's partners said and retreated from the room.

"What do you know about that combination, Derek?" His stepsister requested, sitting up a bit more with a slight wince.

"I hate seeing you like this." He replied with pain in his eyes as he took the seat Karma had vacated next to her.

"Derek... I'm fine. Please tell me about the combo." Casey said with slight irritation, even though her mind was flashing back to when he'd spoken three very meaningful words to her in Russia.

Derek sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as he picked at a piece of thread hanging off of Casey's blanket. "Phil told me that if anything happened to him that I was to give you a silver briefcase. He had it delivered to your apartment."

"Did you bring it? What's inside?"

"It wasn't my place to open it, plus I couldn't remember the combo." He finally met her gaze and took her good hand in his. "Honestly, I think it'd be best if you wait till you're feeling better and able to get out of here before you check it out. "

"Der-ek, you should've brought it with you. This is important." Casey glowered.

"And so is your health, Casey."

"Since when did you become my mother?"

"I'm only looking out for you."

"I don't need taking care of!" She snapped with a scowl, removing her hand from his.

"Your current state proves otherwise." Derek pointed out. His own temper was beginning to rise as he glared at her. "You almost _died _in case you haven't noticed."

Casey was silent as a tear fell from her eye. She finally looked back up at him and he reached out, swiping his thumb across her cheek, gently removing the tear.

"Please don't cry, Case, you know I can't stand tears." Derek spoke softly, caressing her face without disturbing her wounds.

"I'm sorry, Derek." Casey's voice wavered as she fought to control her emotions. "I know I almost died... but it's not _my_ almost death that scared me. _You _almost died as well and it would've been my fault."

"No," Derek shook his head profusely. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look directly into his brown orbs. "It would've been Haldega and the rest of his evil goons to blame. Not you."

"If you had never found out..."

Derek cut her off, knowing what she was going to say, "If I had never found out your secret life, I wouldn't have admitted how I feel about you."

Butterflies fluttered in Casey's stomach as she opened her mouth to reply, however, there was a knock at the door, forcing the two stepsiblings out of the moment as Casey moved away from his touch and lowered her body against the bed with another slight wince from the pain.

"I hope we're not interrupting anything." Ben said, entering the room once again with Karma at his side. He glanced between the two with a raised brow and a curious frown upon his face, obviously sensing he had interrupted them, but not feeling guilty about it.

"It's alright." Casey smiled at her partner.

Derek begged to differ.

"We just received a call from the Colonel," Karma said. "He wants to speak with Derek immediately."

"I'm still visiting." Derek groaned. "Can't he wait?"

"He says it's important and that you need to come now."

Derek sighed as he stood up from Casey's side and then bent down and kissed her forehead, causing Casey's skin to tingle and her stomach to flutter even more.

"I'll be back." He whispered to her. "If I survive..."

"Don't let my boss intimidate you too much, Der." Casey smirked. "He's really not that bad."

"He saved our lives, so I guess I have to give him some credit."

Derek walked towards the door and waited for Casey's partners to follow him out.

"Karma will take you to his office." Ben said as he grabbed a chair from the corner and placed it next to Casey's bed then proceeded to sit.

"You're not coming?"

"If you don't mind, I'd like some time with Casey as well."

Derek clenched his fists but forced a smile, "Of course. Catch ya later."

Ben was a good guy but Derek still couldn't help feeling envious towards him. He'd worked closely with Casey for six years. There was no way he didn't have some kind of _feelings _towards her. She was amazing and Derek had to admit, watching her kick ass was a definite turn on, which worried the hockey star because Ben watched her do it almost every day.

_But you told her you loved her and she kissed you. _Derek tried to persuade himself. _But she still hasn't told me if she feels the same way... What if she doesn't and is only prolonging it because she feels sorry for me? _

"Derek, are you coming?" Karma's voice interrupted his thoughts and he realized he was standing outside Casey's door, staring at the silver tiled floor below.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry." Derek quickly apologized.

Karma smiled and placed her hand on his shoulder, "Casey will be alright."

"I know."

"Then what are you frowning about?"

"Do you still like Ben?" Derek asked as they began walking towards the elevators.

Karma blushed in response to his question and nodded, "Yes... why?"

"Does it bother you how close he is to Casey?"

"They've been partners for a long time. I understand how their relationship works."

"But... do you think there's more to it than _just_ partners?"

The young blonde pursed her lips as she pressed the up button on the elevator and turned to look at him, "Look, we both know that it's more than that but we don't know exactly how much more... and like I said back in Germany, I've seen the way Casey looks at you. She may have some feelings for Ben, but they're nothing compared to what she feels for you."

"I told her I love her." Derek blurted out when the elevator opened up before them and they stepped inside.

"What?" Karma's eyes widened in shock.

"In Russia; right before I ran into you guys with the laptop. It sort of just spilled out of my mouth..."

"What did she say?"

"She kissed me."

Karma squealed with delight, "See! She does feel the same about you! Why the heck are you still worried about Ben for?"

Derek shrugged, "She kissed me, but she didn't say it back."

"Well you guys were in the middle of a battle, Derek."

"Yeah, but we weren't today when I pretty much told her again. Maybe if Ben hadn't interrupted, she would've said it." He grumbled. "Now I have to go talk to big ole Scar-face while _he_ makes time with her."

Karma smacked Derek's arm and glared at him, "Quit it!"

"Ow! That hurt." Derek whined.

"I don't care," She said with her hands on her hips. "Now listen to me because this is something I've had to tell myself as well. If it so happens that Casey and Ben do have something more going on, then we need to back up and let them be. Yeah, it will suck, especially in your case, but there's nothing we can do. Just stop feeling sorry for yourself and have a little faith. You've already kissed her more times than Ben."

"Ben kissed her?" Derek's frown deepened.

"It was more like a peck. Definitely nothing compared to what you two shared in Germany." She winked at him.

Derek blushed and turned away.

The doors opened up to their floor and the pair walked out in search of Colonel Kluess' office.

"Just keep your head up, alright." Karma smiled reassuringly. "I'm pretty sure you have nothing to fear."

(=)

"So..." Ben dragged out as he stared at the wall behind Casey's head. "Derek told you about the briefcase?"

Casey sighed, "Yes, but he won't let me see it until I'm feeling better."

Ben was silent for a moment and Casey knew where this conversation was leading to.

"Look, Ben, I'm sorry I lied to you about Phil." The young agent breathed out. "I wanted to tell you but I couldn't risk it. He threatened to harm my family if I spoke about him."

"Yet you told Derek?" Hurt flashed across his eyes.

"Not willingly. He kind of forced it out of me."

"You're a trained secret agent, Casey. There's no way even a hockey player could force anything out of you."

"He just... he knows me."

"_I_ know you." Ben raised his voice. "I even confronted you about hiding something from me and you lied right to my face!"

"It's just different with Derek, ok?" Casey snapped back.

"Because you love him?" Her partner's voice softened as he stared into her eyes, already knowing the answer.

"I do." She dipped her chin in admittance.

"And what would you say if _I_ felt that way about _you_?"

Casey's eyes widened in surprise, "Ben..."

Her partner stood up abruptly from the chair, causing it to screech against the floor, and ran his hands through his dirty blonde hair, "I know you don't feel the same way. I shouldn't have told you... I just..."

Casey cut him off with a question, "How long have you felt this way?"

Ben turned his pained expression towards her as he answered, "Honestly... Since the day you became my partner."

Casey swallowed a deep intake of breath, "Oh."

"I fought it for so long because of our work status and thought I'd gotten over it, until that day on the jet to Germany when I was trying to prove to you that Derek was jealous. Being that close to you brought those desires back."

"What about all the times you teased me about Derek?"

"I was jealous." He looked away in shame.

"Ben..." Casey sighed, motioning for him to sit back down. "I admit that I had feelings for you as well. They'd resurface off and on, but over the years, you became more of a best friend to me. Then I realized my feelings for Derek and..."

"I get it." Ben grimaced. "Have you and your stepbrother made it official then?"

"Not yet. He doesn't even know I return his feelings."

"Well... If it can't be me who holds your heart, I'm glad it's him." Ben finally smiled, even though his eyes still held grief.

Casey bit her bottom lip nervously as she grabbed his hand and pulled him down so that he was face-to-face with her.

"What are you doing?" Her partner's eyes widened in confusion.

"I just... After all these years working together, you only briefly kissed me one time and it's haunted my dreams ever since. I want to try it again, just to ease my mind once and for all."

"What about Derek?"

"We're technically not together yet."

"But are you sure this is a good idea?"

"If you're not comfortable, I understand."

"No. I want to." He shook his head. "That quick kiss four years ago has plagued my dreams as well. If this is the only chance I get to experience you like this, I'll take it. Thank goodness I have a photographic memory."

Casey chuckled before bringing her partner the last couple inches towards her and touched their lips together. His lips were warm and soft. It was a pleasant kiss, but nothing compared to the fire that exploded inside of her whenever it was with Derek.

They finally pulled apart and stared into each other's eyes.

"Interesting." Ben spoke first as he touched his lips.

"What?" Casey asked, confused by his reaction.

"Maybe I'm not as in love with you as I thought..."

"Am I that bad of a kisser?"

"No," Ben laughed. "You were great, but to be honest... It felt strange... Almost as if I was..."

"Kissing your sister?" Casey finished his sentence with a knowing look.

"I guess so. How twisted is that?"

Casey grinned, "The fact that I see _you _as more of a brother than my _stepbrother_?"

"Yeah." He shook his head with an equally amused grin.

"At least now we know for sure."

"I do love you, Bluebird, just not in the way I thought I did." Ben smiled at her as he bent down and kissed her forehead.

"I love you too, Honey Pot." Casey smirked. "And you never know... The girl for you could be closer than you think." She winked at him.

"What do you mean?" He raised a befuddled brow.

Casey rolled her eyes, "Men are so clueless."

(=)

"Good morning, Mr. Venturi." Colonel Jaquin Kluess said as he shook the nervous hockey player's hand in a firm grip.

"Colonel." Derek nodded. "You wanted to see me?"

"Yes," the large man replied as he dropped his hand and walked further inside his office, beckoning Derek to follow.

Derek glanced back at Karma, hoping she'd stay by his side, but the young blonde had already retreated away from the room.

_Damn. _Derek cursed inside his head. _Of course she'd leave me alone with him._

"Would you care to take a seat?" Kluess asked motioning towards the couch situated against the wall to his right.

"No thanks. I'm eager to return to my stepsister."

"Well then I promise to be quick." He nodded in understanding.

"I'd appreciate it, Sir."

"Back in Russia you mentioned a briefcase that Phillip Greenwood had delivered to Casey's apartment."

"Yes."

"Did you happen to locate it once you arrived home?"

"Yes, I did."

"Did you open it with the combination Agent... er... Mr. Greenwood spoke of?"

"No. He sent the case to Casey. It wouldn't be right if I opened it without her."

"Well, I'd like you to bring it into the Agency for inspection. It could be a trap."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but that's not up to me. It belongs to Casey."

"Yes, and you know how stubborn your stepsister can be."

"Trust me, I do, but it's still her decision whether she wants it inspected or not. And besides, do you really think Phil would want to harm Casey after everything he went through to save her life?"

"One can never be too careful."

"Well, I suggest you speak to _your_ agent about this, not me." Derek said as he opened the office door. He stopped and turned to look at Casey's boss once again, this time his features softened as he cleared his throat. "I, uh, never got to say thank you, by the way. You saved our lives back there. I'm sorry for misjudging you so quickly."

Kluess smiled warmly as he approached Derek and held out his hand for him to shake, "These people are more than just agents to me, Mr. Venturi. They're my family and I promised never to leave them behind."

"I understand, Sir. Forgive me?"

"I already have." He said as he dropped Derek's hand. "In fact, there is another reason I wanted to meet with you this morning."

Derek quirked an intrigued brow and spoke, "Yes?"

"Is your heart dead set on being a hockey star, or would you rather having the title of '_secret agent'_ to your name?"

"Uh... come again?" Derek blinked a couple times in confusion as Colonel Kluess grinned down at him.

* * *

><p><strong>So Casey and Ben have their closure. No one needs to worry about Ben stealing Casey away anymore. Haha. And what do you think about Derek becoming a spy? Sounds interesting...<strong>

**Please leave a Review! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	37. Chapter 37

**Here it is, my lovely readers, the last chapter of _Clandestine Bluebird_. There will be an Epilogue, so don't start shedding those tears yet. Haha.**

**Thank you for reading, favoriting, and especially reviewing! You guys are amazing and helped make writing this story so much more fun!**

**Please let me know your thoughts. It really means a lot.**

**Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 37<strong>

Two Days Later.

R.E.D. Headquarters Medical Facility

Downtown Toronto

8:06 AM

"Good morning, Agent McDonald." Dr. Gloria Reinhardt smiled as she entered the room Casey had been staying in for the past couple of days while recuperating.

"It _will_ be a good morning if you say I'm finally free to go." Casey smiled back with a sigh from where she sat perched upon the hospital bed.

"How are you feeling?" Dr. Reinhardt asked, ignoring Casey's comment as she approached the young woman to inspect her injuries.

"Still a bit sore but definitely not as exhausted as three days ago."

"That's good to hear. Let me take a look at your neck." The doctor said.

Casey leaned forward and turned her head, wincing slightly as Dr. Reinhardt proceeded to peel off the bandage covering the burn she'd been inflicted with thanks to her captors figuring out where her GPS was hidden. The memory still sent shivers down her spine.

"You seem to be healing quite nicely." The doctor commented as she changed the bandage and rubbed some healing cream on the wound.

"Does that mean I can go home?"

"You sure are eager to leave. Don't you like seeing my face everyday?" The woman chuckled after finishing on Casey's neck and checking the bandage on her shoulder.

"Of course I do. I just can't stand being confined to this room much longer."

"Plus you've got that hunky stepbrother to return to, right?" Dr. Reinhardt grinned and Casey's face turned red.

"The infection has gone down," the doctor changed the subject, noticing Casey's discomfort as she continued to look at the young agent's bullet wounded arm. "You're very lucky to have gotten here when you did. Another day and the infection would've spread, resulting in major surgery and reconstruction."

Casey let out a breath and looked at her doctor, "I know and I appreciate everything you have done to heal me."

"Well, I speak on behalf of the entire world when I say that we appreciate everything _you _have done to save us. You're a brave woman, Agent McDonald."

Before Casey could respond there was a knock at the door and a familiar voice that caused knots to form in her stomach spoke, "Can I come in?"

"Yes." Casey croaked out.

Derek entered the room looking like he'd just gotten out of the shower. Casey's breath hitched at the sight. His reddish-brown hair was damp and beginning to form natural waves across his head and his face was freshly shaven, instead of the stubble he'd been forming the last few days. He was dressed in dark stain-washed jeans, a white v-neck shirt and his typical black leather jacket. _Hot _was the first word to come to Casey's mind, which surprised her because she'd never so blatantly checked out her stepbrother before.

"Hey," Derek grinned, noticing the tint of red forming on her cheeks.

"Hey," Casey returned, averting her eyes as she bit her lip anxiously.

"I'll leave you two alone now." Dr. Reinhardt spoke up as she finished with Casey's arm and winked at the young agent.

"Wait," Casey grabbed her hand before she could go. "You still haven't answered my question."

"If Derek promises to look after you, then my answer is yes."

"Yes to what?" Derek's brow furrowed in confusion.

"I can go home today." Casey beamed with excitement.

"You _are_ staying with her, correct?" Dr. Reinhardt asked the young man.

"Unless she decides to kick me out the moment she returns..." Derek nodded as he rubbed the back of his neck while shooting a glance Casey's way.

"Well, she's going to need someone to help her change the bandages every couple of days, so I nominate you."

"Derek can't even clean up his baby sister's puke." Casey snorted. "I doubt he can handle this."

"Challenge accepted." Derek grinned at her before shaking the doctor's hand.

"I'll be back to instruct you on how to do it later then." Dr. Reinhardt smiled before exiting the room.

"You know you don't have to do it if you don't want to." Casey stated as Derek took a seat in the chair next to her bed.

"I don't mind." Her stepbrother shrugged indifferently. "Besides, then you'd be stuck here longer and I know you're dying to be free."

"Yeah," Casey nodded. "I just don't want you doing it because you feel forced."

"I don't." The young hockey player frowned. "But if you don't want me to do it then I don't have to."

"No," Casey frowned. "I'm grateful you're willing to..."

"But...?" Derek added, knowing something was bothering her.

Casey sighed, "I'm just not used to this, that's all."

"Used to what?"

"You _offering_ to help me out."

"I'm not that horrible, am I?"

"No... but the old Derek would've run for the hills at the mention of being my aid for a couple of weeks, or suggested I get my Mom or Lizzie to come do it."

"Well I've changed." He said as he suddenly reached out and took her hand in his, sending tingles to ignite throughout her skin, "and so have my feelings towards you, as I've already stated."

Casey gulped as she stared into his chestnut eyes. The question of whether Derek's confession was real or not became exuberantly clear in that moment just by the longing look in his gaze. He really was in love with her.

"Derek, I..."

"Hey, we heard the good news!" The voice of Casey's partner exclaimed as he and Karma entered the room.

Karma immediately noticed the couple's intertwined hands and gasped, "I'm so sorry. Were we interrupting something?"

Casey quickly removed her hand from Derek's with a blush and smiled at her partners, "Its fine."

Derek glowered at her, obviously annoyed with the intrusion and Casey's actions as he stood up and walked towards the door.

"I'm gonna go speak to the doc about that bandaging thing while you guys chat." He said before leaving the room.

"Derek!" Casey called but he didn't return.

"I'm so sorry, Casey." Ben apologised with a guilty look. "I honestly didn't even know he was here."

"Maybe it's just fate." Casey sighed. "Every time I'm about to tell him how I feel, it never works out."

"No, it's just the stupidity and terrible timing of your partners." Karma corrected her with a stern look. Her expression softened instantly though as she patted Casey's hand with a smile, "Congrats by the way on finally realizing how you feel."

Casey's eyes widened, "You know?"

"Ben told me."

"So you two are swapping secrets now, huh?" Casey grinned.

Ben shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair, "It sorta just came out."

"It's alright. I'm glad you two are becoming closer."

"We're not like _that_." Ben was quick to establish as he and Karma's faces both turned red.

"I didn't say you were." Casey pointed out with a smirk.

"Anyway, we heard you're being released today." Ben changed the subject while avoiding looking at the pretty blonde standing next to him.

"Yes. Do you know how it's going with the briefcase from Phil? Have they managed to open it up?" Casey asked.

Derek had explained to her that the Agency wanted to inspect the case before she opened it herself and Casey agreed. She gave her stepbrother permission to bring the case in to R.E.D. and be handed over to Mason Marz and the other scientists immediately.

"I gave them the combination but there's some kind of other security mechanism that they can't figure out. Mason thinks it could be a DNA reader, which means the case will only open up for one person."

"Why would Phil tell me the combination if I can't open it without his prints, then?" Casey wondered with a frown.

"I don't think it's _his_ DNA it needs."

"Then whose?"

"I think he programmed it specifically for _you_, Casey."

The young agent's eyes widened.

"Can you pass me my change of clothes that Derek brought me from home?" Casey asked Karma.

Karma handed her the bag as Casey began pulling the covers off of her body and trying to stand.

"What are you doing?" Ben asked when she began taking the clothes out of the bag.

"I need to see this case now, so if you don't mind turning around, I have to change."

Her partner decided not to argue, knowing there was no point, so he did as told and turned his back to her while she began to strip out of her hospital gown and put on her jeans and a sweater.

(=)

R.E.D. Headquarters

Tech Lab Level

9:13 AM

"I am so very glad to see that you are doing better, Agent McDonald." Mason Marz said while shaking Casey's hand as she and her partners – plus Derek – entered his lab.

"Thank you." Casey smiled. "Do you have the case?"

Mason nodded, "Yes. It seems, Agent... er... Mr. Greenwood intended for only one specific person to open it and since he was so fond of you, we believe the case will unlock once your DNA is scanned."

"And you're sure it's safe?"

"We ran some tests on it and there doesn't seem to be any type of bomb or explosive device inside... But Mr. Greenwood was very smart; he knew how to disguise a threat easily, which is why we have extra agents on standby just as a precaution." Mason said gesturing towards the four other men in the room with them.

The lead tech man walked over to a security safe, unlocked it and pulled out a silver briefcase. He set it on top of one of the closest counters and motioned for Casey, her partners, and the four other agents to approach.

"It's all yours." He spoke and stepped aside.

Casey stared at the silver case for a moment in hesitation. She'd been waiting to see what was inside for days now but when finally confronted with the possibility of it being a threat, she wasn't as eager anymore.

_Opening this case could be a huge mistake... _Casey thought with a grim expression._ But Phil was good... Wasn't he? He redeemed himself in the end... Right? _

"You alright, Case?" Derek asked as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, not even knowing just how much that simple gesture meant to her.

"Yeah," Casey breathed out.

"You don't have to do this, Bluebird." Ben spoke from the other side of her. "We could always lock the thing away and forget it ever happened."

"No," The young agent shook her head. "I need to open it. Phil said he'd give me answers, so I'm hoping this somehow contains them." She said as she began to enter the combination into the keypad on the side of the case. Suddenly a red scanner lit up around her hand; there was a clicking sound and the red flashed to green before the case popped open.

Everyone braced themselves with abated breaths as the young agent slowly began to lift the lid of the case and opened it up.

"What's in there?" Karma asked.

Casey let out a sigh of relief and raised a curious brow as she picked up the contents of the briefcase.

"A folder?" Derek frowned, probably hoping for something a bit more exciting.

"And a recording device." Casey said, indicating to the black object no bigger than her hand.

"It says your name." Karma pointed out.

"Well, since the contents pose no imminent threat and the case _was_ meant for you, Agent McDonald, we will let you be alone." Mason said as he shook Casey's hand once again and began ushering the four other agents out of the room.

"We can leave as well." Ben offered but Casey shook her head.

"No, this involves you too. You're my partner and from now on, we don't keep secrets."

"I agree." Ben nodded with a smile.

Casey met Derek's wary gaze before taking a deep breath and picking up the recording device. She clicked the_ play_ button and Phillip's voice began speaking instantly, causing Casey's gut to wrench with grief.

"Hey, Casey," Phil spoke and there was a slight pause before he let out a sigh and continued. "I guess if you're listening to this, I'm no longer alive – for real this time. I want to start out by saying that I am truly and deeply sorry for everything I put you through over the years. I never meant to hurt you and it is one of my biggest regrets. You were the best agent I have ever trained, I mean that. I am so proud of you, Casey."

A tear fell from Casey's eye as her former-handler continued to speak.

"I don't even know where to begin when I tell you that everything you thought you knew about me was a lie. What I'm about to reveal to you cannot be repeated to anyone else..." There was another pause and Casey glanced at Ben with a perplexed expression before Phil went on. "I was hired years ago by a top secret affiliation of the government, even more clandestine than _R.E.D._ They call themselves _The Swan_. Colonel Kluess doesn't even know about this.

"_The Swan _hires agents like me to go undercover as an assassin and work for men like Haldega who plan on destroying the world. I was assigned to retrieve information on what they were planning and bring it back to my employers without getting caught.

The men responsible for _Potion X _four years agowere becoming suspicious towards me and wanted me to be the one to poison _R.E.D. _I wanted to back out of the whole mission but _The Swan _forced me to stay. They still didn't have enough to shut the operation down. I was in too deep at the time. The enemy found out where I lived and threatened to harm my family if I didn't do as I was told. I had no choice. I knew that by keeping you and Agent Blake alive, there was still hope that those men could be stopped in time.

"Anyway, I couldn't tell you the truth because just like with _R.E.D._ I was sworn to secrecy by _The Swan_.

"That day I blew up the place, I wasn't trying to destroy the evidence; I was trying to destroy the evil. When the bomb went off, I was able to hide in a secret passageway that was built as a bomb shelter in the 1800's. After I survived, I made a life for myself in Asia under an alias, knowing that I couldn't return home. _R.E.D. _believed me to be a traitor and _The Swan _would be furious with me for messing up the mission to begin with.

"Three years later, I found out that Haldega had survived the explosion as well and was planning another attack, only this one would be even more lethal than _Potion X_. You were the only person I could trust, Casey, and that is why I contacted you that day. I never actually intended to harm your family; I just needed your help. I went undercover once again, pretending to be allies with Haldega, but I was only trying to access information to stop him. I couldn't tell you because I knew you wouldn't believe me anyway.

"I believed in you, Casey. I knew you could stop him, and I know you did. You may have been unsure at first, but I could tell from day one that you were meant for this job. Being a spy takes a lot of courage and selflessness. You have it; don't ever let it go."

Tears were cascading down Casey's cheeks now as she wiped at them with her arm. She felt a warm hand envelope hers and give it a squeeze of reassurance, knowing it was Derek. She smiled at him amidst the tears as they finished listening to the recording.

"I don't have much time now. I'm supposed to be meeting your stepbrother at the airport. Haldega knew about your relationship with Derek; I'm sorry, Casey, but he accessed my files on you, so now he thinks I'm bringing him there as leverage. The real reason I contacted Derek though is because I know you need him there just as much as he needs you.

Casey blushed and avoided looking into Derek's eyes at the mention of her feelings. Even Phil knew how she felt towards her stepbrother before she did.

"The folder that I have placed alongside this recording is everything you need to know about my past with _The Swan _and the likes. It's yours. I refuse to keep anymore secrets from you.

"I wish you great success in your future, whether you stick with being a spy or not. I never stopped caring for you, Casey, and I hope that someday you can forgive me."

(=)

Casey's Apartment

Westside Toronto

3:46 PM

"My place better not be a mess, Derek." Casey grumbled as she followed her stepbrother down the hallway towards her apartment door.

"Oh, come on, Case," Derek frowned while digging the key out of his pocket and inserting it into the door they were stopped in front of. "You don't trust me to watch your home for one week?"

"Trust you?" Casey scoffed. "I don't think you even understand the meaning of the word: _cleaning_."

"See for yourself then." Derek grinned as he opened the door and let her step in ahead of him.

Casey's jaw literally dropped when she stepped inside her two-bedroom apartment and saw that it was indeed incredibly _clean_ – cleaner than she herself kept it half the time.

"Well?" Derek folded his arms across his chest with an amused smirk after closing the door.

The young secret agent decided not to comment, knowing it would only boost his attitude against her, so she merely shrugged her uninjured shoulder and removed her outer-wear before making her way towards the couch in the living room and sitting down.

"I think you owe me an apology." Derek insisted while following her lead and sitting on the cushion next to her.

"Considering your past record of not picking up after yourself, I owe you no such thing." She pointed out.

"Touché." Her stepbrother grinned.

A silence fell over the two as Casey stared down at the silver case she'd set down next to the sofa. Her mind was still trying to cope with everything that had been said on that recording device from Phil. She'd even listened to it over and over as she read through the file that he'd given her.

_Phil was good all along... He had only been protecting his family, just like I'd been doing with mine. _

Speaking of family, before leaving the hospital, Casey had a long conversation with her mother who was very upset about her daughter missing Cousin Victoria's engagement party. She'd explained to her mother that a major research project had been assigned to her last minute that she had to go out of town for and couldn't get out of. Nora was still irate, especially since she hadn't heard from Casey in almost two weeks, but she was also understanding and willing to forgive her if she promised to visit the family very soon.

Even though her secret was out to Derek, Casey couldn't tell the rest of her family what she really did for a living. They wouldn't understand and not to mention that it's still against the rules of _R.E.D. _Besides, not knowing the truth kept them safe. Once her body was healed, Casey planned to take a mini vacation with Derek to their parent's house. She deserved a break, no matter how much she loved her job.

Derek still had a lot of explaining to do about his disappearance after the game in Boston. Casey reassured their family that he was alright but needed time to figure things out before speaking to them, which was the truth.

"So... It's been quite a week, huh?" Derek finally spoke up, breaking the silence that had engulfed the room as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

Casey turned to look at her stepbrother as her stomach fluttered profusely at the realization of how close he actually was to her on the couch. She cleared her throat with a nod of her head and smiled.

"Yes," She said and surprised even herself as she took Derek's hand in hers and stared into his eyes. "Derek, I need to tell you something."

A pained expression broke out on her stepbrother's face while he looked away from her and spoke, "You don't feel the same way, do you?"

Casey smirked as she leaned forward, tilted his face towards hers and gently placed her lips upon his.

"Does that answer your question?" She said when they pulled apart.

"I want to hear you say it." Derek breathed out as he squeezed her hands in his.

Casey took a deep breath as she spoke the four words she'd wanted to say since the experience in Russia, "I love you, Derek."

Derek grinned widely as he pulled her close, being careful not to hurt her, and kissed her deeply.

When they finally pulled apart for much needed air, Derek looked into her eyes and spoke in-between breaths, "There's something... I have to tell... you."

"Kluess... wants you to... work for... _R.E.D._" Casey panted out as she leaned her forehead against her stepbrother's with a glazed expression.

Derek looked at her in confusion, "How did you...?"

"He told me."

"And how do you feel about that?"

Casey sighed as she ran a hand through her now tousled hair, thanks to Derek's roaming hands, and looked him in the eye, "What about hockey? I thought it was your dream?"

"_You're_ my dream." He winked seductively.

Casey rolled her eyes, fighting back a grin at his cheesiness, "Der-ek, I'm being serious here."

Derek breathed out a sigh, "And so am I, Case. I love playing hockey, but come

on; it's not every day you're given the option of becoming a spy. Besides, after that incident in Boston, my hockey career is over. There's no way any team will want me now."

"I understand, Derek," Casey sighed as she held his hands in hers, "but do you

think you could handle it? You've seen what it's like to be a spy. It's not just about having an awesome title to your name; we risk our lives everyday to protect this world."

"I know, and I want to fight by your side while doing it."

Casey grinned as more butterflies erupted in her gut, "You're going to need a lot of training."

"Well then I guess I'm lucky my girlfriend is the top spy of _R.E.D._" He grinned back.

Derek calling her his girlfriend was strange at first but Casey could definitely get used to that.

"Let's begin with Lesson number one then, shall we?" The young agent smirked with a seductive gleam in her eye as she wrapped her hand around the back of her boyfriend's neck.

"And what's that?" Derek breathed out, placing his hand on her waist.

"Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation." She replied and captured his lips with hers once again.

* * *

><p><strong>Lol! I know it was a cheesy ending, but I couldn't help myself!<strong>

**Please, please, please let me know your thoughts on the ending! What did you think of Phil's revelation? What do you think about Derek becoming a spy? I want to know your thoughts! Especially since this is the end, it would mean a lot to get reviews from all of my readers.**

**Oh! And what do you think of the cover page? It blows my mind how much it looks like Casey!**


	38. Epilogue

**It is finally here... The End of Clandestine Bluebird. I can't believe it's been a whole year since I started this story. I want to start off by thanking EVERYONE for reading, reviewing, favoriting, and just enjoying my story. It means a lot to know that my creativeness is appreciated. I also want to thank the TV show ALIAS for inspiring me to start this story. I highly recommend you check that show out. And of course God gets most of the credit since He created me; there would be no CB if that little miracle hadn't been formed. **

**This whole story is dedicated to one of my best friends, LeanaPlumz. Without it, we wouldn't have met and that would be tragic because I can't see my life without her now. Thank you, Leana, for helping on a lot of the chapters throughout this journey as well. I love you, Hamster!**

**Now, why don't we get on with this ending, shall we?**

**For the last time... Enjoy!**

* * *

><p><strong>Epilogue<strong>

Eight Months Later

R.E.D. Headquarters

Gym and Training Level

10:46 AM

"Try to lift your leg a little higher when you kick." Casey instructed her stepbrother/boyfriend as she stood in front of him in a ready position with her hands held out to defend his attacks. In the past eight months since the incident in Russia, Casey's shoulder had healed leaving behind a minor scar and she was finally able to use it again.

"Any higher, Case, and you won't be a mother someday." Derek replied while swiping the sweat from his brow with his forearm.

The young agent blushed at his comment and what it implied. The two had been dating for half a year now but the subject of what the future held for them was still unclear.

_Can I see myself actually marrying Derek someday? _ She pondered for a moment. Casey had always dreamed of settling down one day with a fine husband and two or three kids running around but since becoming a spy, that dream had been pushed to the back of her mind. Until now that is…

_I can't live this life if children are involved. It's too risky. _

"You ready for another round?" Derek's voice broke though her thoughts as he held up his fists.

"I'm sorry?" Casey shook her head. She'd been so zoned out that she missed hearing what he said.

Derek noticed the frown forming on his girlfriend's face and took a concerned step towards her as he placed his hand on her shoulder.

"You alright?" He asked, looking into her grief stricken eyes.

Casey sighed, "I... I'm fine." She lied.

The young secret agent ran a hand through her hair. It was just the two of them in the gym, so she didn't have to worry about anyone listening in on their conversation.

"I just... I don't think I'll ever be a mom. This job is literally my life. How would a baby ever fit into it?"

Derek smiled as he pulled the woman he loved into his arms and she rested her head against his broad chest.

"Why are you stressing about this now? You're still young. You've got plenty of time to settle down in the future. I shouldn't have said anything, I'm really sorry."

"It's not your fault, Derek. It just got me thinking though..."

"If you want to be a mother, you will be."

"But..."

"Do you really want to be a spy forever?"

"No... But I don't want to be an old mother either."

Derek chuckled and kissed the top of her head, he then pulled away and looked into her eyes with a smirk, "Well we could always get started now then."

"Der-ek!" Casey slapped his arm; her face turning a deep shade of red. "I'm being serious."

"So am I." He winked seductively.

"You're hopeless!" Casey threw up her hands with an irritated glare and began stomping towards the women's change room.

"Case!" Derek called after her. "Awe, honey, come on! I was kidding!" _Sort of_. He thought with a smirk as she ignored him and disappeared behind the door.

The former hockey star let out a sigh as he ran a hand through his sweat-drenched hair. He was exhausted. He'd been training all morning since 5 AM. Between Casey, Ben, and Sensai Hershey, Derek was becoming quite the fighter. It still all seemed surreal to him that he was now a secret spy and Casey was not only his girlfriend but part of his spy team as well.

"Hey, Derek," a familiar voice called from across the empty gym, slightly startling the young man as he spun towards it.

"Hey, _Winnie the Pooh_." Derek greeted with a grin.

Benjamin grimaced at the nickname that Derek had adopted for him thanks to Casey telling him the story behind their code names as he glanced around the empty space with a raised brow. "I thought I heard Casey in here with you…"

"She was until I pissed her off and she stomped away." Derek sighed as he grabbed a towel from the nearby bench and wrapped it around his neck in frustration.

"Uh oh. What'd you say now?" Ben smirked, used to hearing about their arguments, as he sat down on the bench. Even though the two had finally become a couple, they still managed to fight like cat and dog on most occasions. It was just who they were and would never change despite their relationship status.

"I was just making a joke and she took it seriously." Derek groaned as he took a seat beside his fellow secret agent and friend.

"A joke about what?"

"Does it really matter?"

"It obviously does to Casey."

Derek frowned and leaned forward to rest his head in his hands as he relayed the conversation to Ben.

The blonde agent let out a low whistle after Derek finished and clapped him on the back, "You've definitely done it now. Women are especially sensitive when it comes to the subject of the future and the mention of being a mother."

"And you'd know?" Derek snorted in amusement.

"Hey, I've had a couple girlfriends in my time, plus I grew up with three older sisters. I know a lot more about women than you'd think."

"Fine," Derek sighed once again, "so what do you suggest I do, oh 'Guru of Women'?" He mocked.

"For one, I suggest you stop talking to me and go find your woman."

"Crap!" Derek suddenly exclaimed at the realization of something as he jumped to his feet with wide eyes.

"What?" His partner stared up at him in confusion.

"She's probably already left to get ready for her cousin's wedding, and if I don't hurry and get my own butt out of here, I'm a dead man for sure!"

"That's today?"

"Yes! It starts at noon. I begged Case to come here and help me train for a bit before the ceremony because I wanted to be ready for the field exercise next week."

"I'd definitely get moving if I were you then. The wrath of Bluebird is not one to mess with."

"I honestly hate these things…" Derek frowned as he began collecting his belongings.

"You hate weddings? Wow… You're a real romantic." Ben scoffed sarcastically.

"I just hate all the drama that surrounds them, and not to mention the fact that our family will be there. My father is still disappointed with me for quitting hockey, and they're all still trying to get used to the fact that Case and I are now dating."

"I thought they took it pretty well when you told them at Christmas three months ago?"

Derek shrugged, "They did… and they didn't… I think it's still going to take some getting used to, at least for the parents. Our sibs, on the other hand, were ecstatic. Apparently they'd been rooting for the two of us to hook up ever since we met."

Ben laughed out loud and grinned at Derek, "That's some family you've got there."

"Don't remind me." The young man shook his head as he turned to leave. "Wish me luck." He spoke over his shoulder and waved goodbye.

"Luck!" Ben shouted back, still laughing while Derek exited the gym in a hurry.

(=)

Ella Banquet Hall

Toronto, Ontario

6:37 PM

"Congratulations again, Vick… um… toria." Casey forced a smile as her newly wed cousin walked into the women's bathroom while she was finishing washing her hands at the sink.

"Thanks, cuz." Victoria replied sarcastically. "I'm quite surprised to see that you've at least shown up to my wedding."

Casey sighed as she turned off the tap and began to dry her hands on a towel. _And so it begins… _

"I told you I was sorry about missing your engagement party. It was months ago now; can't you just accept that?"

"I had to replace you with Daniel's whiny fifteen year old sister as a bridesmaid because you were apparently "_unavailable_" to be in my wedding party." Her cousin air-quoted with her fingers and snapped angrily.

Casey scoffed and folded her arms across her chest with a frown, "Oh please! You only wanted me in the wedding party to flaunt off the fact that you were getting married and I wasn't!"

"Is that really what you think of me? That I'm that shallow?" Hurt flashed across the bride's face as she met Casey's heated gaze and a thought suddenly dawned on her. "You're still upset about the whole Truman thing, aren't you?" She asked with wide eyes.

"No," Casey snapped. "Thanks to you kissing him, I realized how much of a scumbag he really was."

"Then what is your deal?"

"What is yours? We've never been very close, so why would you even care to have me in your wedding party?"

Vicki stumbled on her words as she stood in her poofy white dress opening and closing her mouth like a baited fish with frustration. She finally let out a sigh of defeat and spoke, "Fine! Part of the reason _was_ to flaunt off my new fiancé because I knew you had no one, which meant I'd finally beat you at something!"

The young secret agent wanted to shout out: "I knew it!" when her cousin was finally honest with her and admitted to Casey's assumptions, but of course she didn't. _I'm around Derek far too much… _She thought with a slight smirk, knowing that even though he would've gloated in the flustered bride's face, she didn't regret the presence of her boyfriend in the least.

"You really need to stop comparing your life to mine, Victoria. It's unhealthy, and to be honest, I'm quite happy with the fact that I'm not married yet. I'd much rather focus on my career for a while longer before dealing with a husband and kids; not that it's a bad thing!" She added with a flush before her cousin was offended.

"I get it," Vicki chuckled and shook her head in remorse. "I'm truly sorry for being such a bitch all these years, Case. Can you forgive me?""

"As long as you forgive me for dropping out of your wedding. I really was tied up with life at the time though…" _And recovering from a bullet wound…_

"No need to explain." Victoria smiled and held up her hand as she stepped forward and pulled Casey into an embrace. "I do have one question though…" The young bride said when they parted. Her face had gone red with embarrassment as she hesitated to speak.

"What is it?"

"Would you mind… holding my dress while I pee?"

Casey laughed out loud and gestured towards the stalls, "It would be my honour."

(=)

7:42 PM

"Are you just going to ignore me all night or are we going to speak about this?" The voice of George Venturi spoke from behind Derek as he stood at the bar pouring himself another glass of wine.

"What makes you think I was ignoring you?" The young man frowned and turned to meet his father's stern gaze.

George gave him a pointed look and Derek shook his head as he brought the glass up to his lips and took a sip.

"There's nothing to talk about. It's been eight months, Dad. I'm not going back."

"I just don't understand." George sighed. "Hockey was everything to you. How could you just throw that away? I'm sure they would've given you another chance after that fight in Boston."

"You don't get it. I didn't care about another chance. Yes, I love hockey, Dad, but it's not what I wanted for my life."

"Was this_ your_ decision or _Casey's_?" his father glowered bitterly.

Derek turned to his dad with a fierce glare, "How dare you even say that. _I _decided this on my own. I know you're still trying to get used to the fact that Casey and I are together, but don't be blaming her for _my_ life choices. You're just going to have to get over the fact that we're in love and that I'm not playing hockey anymore."

George's expression softened and guilt replaced his hard features as he spoke, "You really do love each other?"

Derek glanced across the room to where he saw Casey dancing on the floor with Lizzie and his stomach muscles tightened at the sight. The young woman caught his gaze and even though she was still upset with him for their conversation that morning she winked at him. He couldn't help the smile that appeared on his face as he turned back to his father and spoke, "We always have."

George let out a sigh and ran a hand through his thinning grey-blonde hair, "Look, Derek, I'm sorry for being so hard on you about the hockey thing. It just doesn't add up, I guess. You leaving hockey to work at some research place…?"

"I'm in charge of the video projects there, Dad. It's actually a pretty sweet gig. You have no idea how many lives we're impacting at _R.E.D._"

His father smiled and patted him on the shoulder, "All that matters is that you're happy and I see now that you really are. I admit, the whole thing between you and Casey is still going to take some time for me to adjust to; I mean… I see her as a daughter too... But who am I to mess with love? There's no force on this earth that could keep me from loving Nora and I can see by the look in your eyes, that you feel the same way about her daughter."

"You have no idea." Derek grinned. If only his father knew all that he'd done to keep Casey in his life.

"Nora and I didn't say it at Christmas, but you have our blessing to be together."

"Thanks, Dad. That means a lot."

The two men embraced each other with slaps on the back and Derek felt like such a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

"Well I better get back to your stepmother. I thinks she wants to head home soon since we had to leave Simon with a sitter."

"I bet he wasn't too happy about that." Derek chuckled.

"Not in the least. The little bugger tried to sneak into the car when we were leaving. He even packed cucumber sandwiches for his self to eat during the drive. It's like you and Casey never left home."

Derek laughed at his father's comment and the memory it brought up of the time he and Casey tried to sneak out to a party in high school. _If only we'd had our spy skills then… Maybe Dad's car wouldn't have been dented. _

"The two of you better come and visit again soon." George advised before waving goodbye and heading towards his wife who was trying to round up a dancing teenage Marti that was refusing to leave the party so soon.

"We will." Derek nodded.

The former hockey star gulped down the rest of his wine and set the empty glass on one of the nearest tables and decided it was time to face his girlfriend that had barely spoken a word to him all evening. He couldn't stand the thought of her being angry with him another moment.

_God, help me…_

_(=)_

_R.E.D. _Headquarters

Tech Lab Level

7:52 PM

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Chip, what is that blasted noise? Would you turn it off? I'm trying to reprogram something here." Benjamin Blake complained as he sat in Mason Marz's desk in his office and typed up codes on the computer before him.

"I have detected an intruder around the premises of the building, Agent Blake." Chip replied as the beeping sound continued.

"Where?" The secret agent asked with concern but before the security system could reply, a voice spoke up behind him.

"I've been wondering where you were."

Ben spun around to see Karma Hesston standing in the doorway with a smile on her pretty face. He let out a sigh, ignoring the knot that formed in his stomach every time she was around him and instructed Chip to stop the beeping sound, "It's just Karma that you were detecting, Chip, so turn it off."

"Agent Hesston is not an intruder. I am not detecting her in the building's outer premises." Chip replied.

"What's going on?" Karma asked, approaching the desk as Ben continued to argue with the security system.

"I know she's not an intruder, Chip, so turn off the beeping!"

"But, Agent Blake…"

"What is that beeping for?" Karma questioned as she placed her hands over her ears to block out the volume that it was increasing to.

"He must be malfunctioning because of me having to change some codes in the system," Ben said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair and started typing something on the computer. "Let me see if I can turn off that noise myself." He hit a couple more buttons and the alarm finally cut off. The man grinned with triumph.

"What are you doing in Mason's office anyway? Did you forget that we were supposed to meet at seven for dinner? I've been looking everywhere for you." Karma frowned and placed her hands on her hips.

Ben's eyes widened in realization and he blushed with embarrassment, "I'm so sorry, Kar! I honestly didn't mean to stand you up. Mason had to leave early on a flight to L.A. because he was helping the _CIA_ with something; I guess they're having computer problems and none of their tech guys can figure them out, so he asked me if I could finish typing up some new codes into the system since I practically helped with the design of Chip anyway."

"So you didn't think to call or text me? I would've understood, Ben. You made me think that…" She hesitated on finishing her sentence and turned away from him.

"I made you think what?" He asked as he stood up and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Well… This was supposed to be our first official date and… and I thought maybe you'd decided not to go through with it."

"Oh, Kar, I honestly didn't mean it." Ben said as he forced her to turn around and look into his eyes. "I've actually been looking really forward to this date. I guess I just get a little too caught up in work sometimes and lose track of time. I swear it had nothing to do with you though."

"So then you do still want to go out with me?" She asked hopefully as a piece of blonde hair fell over her eye.

Ben reached out and brushed the stray strand of hair behind her ear with a smile, "Only if you still want to go out with _me_."

"I've never told you this before…" the young agent blushed a shade of red as she placed her hand over his and held it against her cheek, "but I've had a crush on you since the first day we met."

"And you waited till now to tell me?"

"At the time I thought you and Casey had a thing…"

"But even after she and Derek got together and you and I became friends… Why didn't you tell me?"

"I wanted to be sure that my feelings were reciprocated."

Ben laughed at how adorable she was as he leaned down and captured her soft lips with his. He then pulled away and looked into her eyes with a smirk, "Are you sure now?"

"I think I need a little more convincing." Karma grinned and was about to pull him in for another kiss when the alarm started sounding again.

_Beep! Beep! Beep!_

"Are you serious, Chip?" Ben shouted over the noise as he approached the computer screen with frustration.

"Forgive me for interrupting, but I detect an intruder in the premises, Agent Blake. It is not a malfunction. My systems are working fine." The security system insisted as a video surveillance popped up on the screen showing two dark figures roaming the outside of the building.

"He really is detecting someone, Ben. What should we do?"

"Do you have your tranq gun?"

"Yes."

"Then let's check it out. It could just be some teenage punks looking for trouble but I'd like to make sure."

The two agents rode the elevator to the main floor and quickly made their way to the front of the lobby where the doors were securely locked down with no way of outsiders getting in. Ben entered in the security code and Chip opened the doors for them as the duo quietly crept out into the chilly night air of Toronto, guns extended, and began searching the area for any trespassers.

"Do you see anyone?" Karma whispered as Ben headed towards the back of the massive building.

He glanced around the corner with his tranquilizer gun gripped tightly in his hands but there was no one hiding in the darkness that he could see.

"They must've left." Ben said with a shrug as he turned back to Karma.

Suddenly two masked figures dropped down from above them and before either agent could react, their guns had been removed from their hands and they were pinned to the ground.

"Good job, boys." An unknown female voice spoke from the shadows as Ben and Karma struggled against their captors. "Now let's go crash a wedding reception, shall we?"

(=)

Ella Banquet Hall

Toronto, Ontario

8:05 PM

Casey laughed as she spun her younger sister in a twist and pulled her back to her body as they continued dancing to the beat of the music while on the dance floor. She'd missed Lizzie so much in the past year. The younger McDonald was always busy traveling with her University soccer team and Casey hardly got to see her. They were already discussing spending a weekend together, just the two of them for some sisterly bonding time. It was much needed and Casey couldn't wait. She wasn't sure how Derek would take it though since he was practically tied to her hip since they started dating, but he'd just have to deal.

Speaking of the boyfriend, Casey hadn't seen much of him since the ceremony that afternoon. He sat next to her during the wedding and made sarcastic remarks during the vows, but she'd still been irritated with his behavior from the morning and barely acknowledged him. After her heart-to-heart with Vicki … oops… _Victoria_, she realized that she didn't want to stay mad at Derek. He was just being his usual jokester self; she should be used to it by now. However, the thought of actually bringing a child into their kind of life one day still caused her stomach to drop with uneasiness.

"You okay, Casey?" Lizzie's voice broke through her thoughts and the young agent looked up to see her sister staring at her with concern.

"Um… yeah… sorry. I guess I just wandered off for a moment."

"Something on your mind?"

"Derek and I got into a bit of an argument this morning…"

"I was wondering what was up with you two since you've spent most of the night with me instead of your _boyfriend_." She grinned when she referred to the title that Derek had now taken up in her life, still loving the fact that her sister and stepbrother were now dating. "It's nothing serious, is it?" She raised a curious brow. "I mean… you guys always argue… It's just the way you are."

"I know. He made a joke when I was trying to have a serious conversation and I may have overreacted…" Casey confessed guiltily.

"Well maybe you should go talk to him then…" Her sister suggested with an understanding smile.

Before Casey could reply, an all too familiar voice spoke up from behind her and she turned to see Derek rubbing the back of his neck as he made eye contact with Lizzie, "May I… uh… cut in?" He asked his youngest stepsister, the one he actually considered to be his_ family_.

Lizzie smirked, "As long as you're actually going to dance with her and not throw her around like a rag doll or act like a zombie."

"Ah," Derek admonished with a grin at the memories. "Good times."

"Now I know _why_ you always wanted to dance with my sister." Lizzie winked as she gave Casey a quick hug and whispered in her ear. "He has good timing. Now make up before I bash your heads together." Casey chuckled at her comment. If only her sister knew that she wasn't the only one who knew martial arts anymore.

"So..." Derek started to say once Lizzie walked away and they were alone.

"Are you going to dance with me or just stand there?" Casey questioned with her hands on her hips.

"May I have this dance?" Derek smirked with a bow.

Casey rolled her eyes, smiling on the inside, as she grabbed her boyfriend's hand and placed his other one on her hip. They slowly began to move to the slow song now playing in the background.

"I'm sorry." The spy couple blurted at the same time, causing equal grins to spread across their faces.

"What are_ you_ sorry for?" Derek frowned at her. "_I'm_ the one that needs to apologize. I was a total inconsiderate jerk earlier. I shouldn't have joked when you were trying to have a serious conversation."

"Joking is just your way of dealing with things though, Derek, and I know that. I overreacted. You were just being you."

Derek shook his head, "That's no excuse. I need to start being more considerate to your feelings. We're in this relationship together and it won't work unless we're both on the same page."

"I agree."

"Do you still... uh… Wanna talk about it?" Derek asked nervously while continuing to lead them through the song in a swaying motion.

Casey wrapped her hands around his neck and smiled up at him, "It's alright. While in the bathroom with Vicki, I realized that I'm happy with the way my life is at the moment. I don't need to get married right away or have children to feel satisfied. I like my job and I like not having the pressures of being a wife and mother right now. Maybe someday..."

"You were in the bathroom with Vicki…?"

"Don't ask." Casey advised and Derek knew not to mess with that tone.

"Ok…" The former hockey star raised a curious brow at her before moving on. "So this whole wedding thing hasn't given you any ideas?"

Casey laughed, "We only started dating, Derek. As much as I look forward to walking down the aisle someday, right now isn't the time."

Derek let out a breath and spoke, "Well that's a relief."

"Hey!" Casey chided and smacked the back of his head. "I still expect it to be amazing and very romantic when it does happen, so you better get planning now."

"How about after I pass the field exercise next week? I could fail and not become a super secret spy; I doubt you'd want me then."

"Of course I'd still want you! I fell in love with you before you became a spy, Derek, and I'll love you even after." A thought suddenly dawned on the young agent as she looked up into his eyes, begging for the truth. "Is that why you fell in love with me? Because I was a spy?"

Derek shook his head and chuckled, "No, I started falling for you way before then, but you being a spy did add to your sexiness," he winked and she blushed crimson red.

Casey leaned up towards his lips but before she touched them to hers she stopped and glanced around, realizing where they were, "I know you don't like PDA..." Before she could finish the sentence, Derek closed the space between them.

"With you, I could really care less." He grinned when they parted.

Something across the room suddenly caught the young agent's eye and she let go of her boyfriend as an uneasy feeling crept into her stomach.

"What are you doing?" Derek asked when she began walking away.

"Did you see that man?" Casey turned to him briefly before her attention was averted across the room again.

"What man?"

"I saw a man dressed in dark clothing standing at the back entrance."

"When?"

"Just now. He made eye contact with me and then disappeared out the door."

"Do you know him?"

"I've never seen him before. I don't even think he was invited to the wedding." She shook her head. "I'm going to check it out. Something doesn't feel right."

"I'm coming with you." Derek said and Casey didn't even bother trying to stop him. He was getting better in his training and she knew he could handle himself if they were attacked.

"Just stay close behind," the young agent instructed her boyfriend as she glanced around to make sure no one was watching and pulled her tranquilizer gun out of the slit in her baby blue dress.

"What else are you keeping down there?" Derek commented while they made their way towards the back entrance door of the banquet hall. He wouldn't be given a gun until after his training was complete, so Casey was the only one armed at the moment.

"Wouldn't you like to know." She smirked seductively and Derek blushed.

The hall was so busy with wedding guests dancing and drinking that no one even noticed the couple slip out the door into the cold night air. They were standing in a dimly lit parking lot that was unpaved, causing Casey to stumble slightly in her heels as they glanced around the area.

"You sure you saw him go outside?" Derek whispered from behind her as Casey extended her gun and surveyed the area.

"Yes."

"Maybe it was nothing."

"No," she shook her head with determination. "He looked right at me, Derek, and then he walked out like I was supposed to follow him."

"What if it's a trap then? Maybe we should…"

Before Casey could finish her sentence two large dark figures appeared from behind a truck and began advancing on them almost immediately.

"Case, watch out!" Derek cried as another figure dropped down from the side of the building and knocked the gun from her hands.

Casey glanced to her left and saw one of the men swing his fist to connect with her stepbrother's jaw but he ducked just in time and kicked the guy in the gut. She turned back to see the other two men coming after her and readied herself for their attack. It wouldn't be easy in a dress, but she had no choice.

The first guy went for her throat but Casey blocked his attempt and kneed him in the side; the second guy jumped up and right before his shoe could connect with her face, the young agent twisted, kicked up her own leg and knocked him against the wall. His partner went in for another hit but Casey punched him in the face then brought her elbow up against his nose causing it to crack and the man to cry out in pain.

"Enough!" A shrill voice suddenly cut through the night and all three men backed away from the spy duo instantly, one now nursing a fractured nose.

"What's going on?" Derek shouted as he and Casey stood in the ready position in case they decided to attack again.

"Good evening, Agent McDonald and Mr. Venturi." A female voice spoke from behind them, startling the couple as they spun around to see an attractive red haired, middle-aged woman standing in the shadows with her hands placed inside the pockets of her stylish green trench coat. "That was quite the show you just put on there. I'm impressed."

"Who are you?" Casey demanded to know as she picked up her tranq gun from the ground and aimed it at the strange woman.

"There's no need to point that at me; I'm unarmed." The Redhead said, gesturing to Casey's weapon.

"Then remove your hands from your coat." Derek glared at the mysterious woman who continued to smile at the two of them.

"Show us your hands, or I shoot." Casey threatened and took a step towards her.

"All I want to do is talk." She replied as she slowly pulled her hands from the pockets of her coat and held them out in front of her.

"Then why did those men attack us?"

"It was a test." The woman grinned.

"A test for what?" The young agent stared at her in confusion. "How do you know who we are?"

"My name is Olivia Inez and I work for _The Swan_."

Casey's eyes widened at the mention of that name.

"I believe Agent Phillip Greenwood mentioned us to you, judging by the look on your face."

"What do you want with us? We had nothing to do with Phil's death."

"That's not why I'm here. Agent Greenwood's death was a tragedy and he will be greatly remembered."

"You were part of the reason he was killed in the first place!" Casey accused with a scowl. "I know all about what your clandestine company did to him."

"Do you now?" Olivia raised a brow at her.

"He wanted out but you forced him to stay undercover._ You _let _R.E.D._ get poisoned!" The young agent hissed with anger and she felt Derek place his hand on the small of her back to calm her.

"What happened to _R.E.D._ was out of our control, Agent McDonald. Your agency wasn't the only one to get hit with Potion X; it was happening all around the world. Having Agent Greenwood stay undercover was the only way we could find out where the potion was coming from and how to get rid of it. We almost did until Greenwood's tracker lost its signal because of those underground tunnels in Asia. Nevertheless, he saved our lives that day, and _you_ managed to save everyone as well, which is why I am here tonight."

The air grew silent with only the distant sound of music coming from inside the hall as Casey stared at the woman in confusion.

"What do you mean…?"

Olivia smiled and took a step closer, "You are an outstanding agent, Miss. McDonald. Our company has been watching you for quite some time now, and we would like to offer you a covert position working for _The Swan_."

Casey was speechless. Who did this woman think she was just showing up out of nowhere, at her cousin's wedding reception of all places, and offering her a job?

"I… I can't." Casey shook her head with a deep frown. "_R.E.D._ is my life. My team is there, my friends…"

Olivia chuckled with a smile, "We don't just want _you_; we want your_ team_ as well. In fact, Agent Blake and Agent Hesston have already agreed to the terms; on the one condition that you and Mr. Venturi say yes as well."

"You've already spoken to my partners?"

"Yes, after they forgave us for taking them by force. We had to take necessary precautions just in case they didn't go along with it." She shrugged.

"This is ridiculous, Case." Derek raised his voice as he stepped out in front of her and looked into her eyes. "For all we know this woman is lying to us."

"This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, Agent McDonald. There is so much more that _The Swan _can offer you as a spy." The redhead spoke convincingly. "We not only _want_ you and your team, but we _need_ you."

Casey could feel her heartbeat drumming against her chest as her mind raced with so many perplexing thoughts. She didn't know what to say. The keener in her started listing out the many pros and cons that came with making the tough decision. _This will not only affect my life, but my team's as well…_

The secret agent finally met Derek's wary gaze and he nodded at her, affirming that he'd follow her whichever path she chose. She smiled warmly at him before looking back at the woman from _The Swan_ and nodded with determination.

"I'm in."

"Then welcome to a whole new chapter of your life, Agent Casey McDonald."

* * *

><p><strong>And that's the end... I really hope you liked it. Please leave a Review; it would mean so much.<strong>

** As far as I know, there won't be a sequel... but who knows? Maybe I'll become inspired again if they actually do have "Life With Derek... Again" happen. I'm totally psyched for that possibility by the way!**

**Anyway... thanks so much! ****I'm actually a little sad that it's over now... but I do really want to focus on non-fanfiction stuff, since I have a lot of novel ideas just sitting in files on my computer, waiting to be looked at again... Wish me luck.**

**God Bless!**

**Oh, and for those interested, I've been doing a little bit of editing on my other story, Spilt Tea, and will probably be posting those within the next month. It's not too much that I'm changing... Just tiny little edits. **

**Have a Great 2013!**


	39. Possible CB Sequel

Hey, all my lovely readers!

I haven't written fanfiction in a while but I was really proud of the story I created with _Clandestine Bluebird_ and recently started getting ideas for a sequel.

If anyone is actually interested in a CB sequel, **please let me know.** I don't want to post it if nobody is going to read it.

If more than ten people are, you will be happy to know that I've begun writing some chapters and if you want the story, I will begin posting within the next couple of weeks.

Thank you.


	40. Title suggestions for CB Sequel

I'm so excited to see that many of you want a CB sequel! Thanks to your reviews and shows of interest, it will definitely be happening!

I still want to have a couple more chapters complete before posting, and I'm also still working on a title. If anyone has a title suggestion, I'd love to hear it, and possibly consider it! You will definitely get recognition if I choose it.

I guess you need some kind of synopsis in order to even come up with a possible title, so here is a little something…

**Casey and Derek have been working for ****_The Swan _****agency for two years, along with Ben and Karma. ****_The Swan _****has been trying to track down a group of assassins known as ****_The Collective _****for years now, and suddenly they have a way through an unlikely source. The only problem is that Casey must go deep undercover and pose as an assassin within their enemy's lines, which proves to be more difficult than she initially thought.**

Let me know your suggestions. I'd love to hear them! Once I have a title, I can start posting the first chapter.

Thanks again for sharing your interest in my story with me. It means more than you know.

_Clandestine Bluebird_ was really fun to write and I know the sequel will be too. : )


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